The rest of winter break, despite its rocky start, was better than Lena could have ever imagined. She and Kara slept in the same bed, tangled together and whispering secrets across the pillow until they both fell asleep, and every morning without fail Eliza had breakfast waiting for them.
One morning, Kara woke her up with a squeal and a pillow hitting the side of her face.
"Hmmm." Lena pried open a blurry eye and was rewarded with the sight of Kara hopping up and down in polar bear pajamas.
"It's Christmas Eve! And it snowed last night!" Kara pointed to the window, letting out another squeal.
With a roll of her eyes and a noncommittal grunt, Lena turned over, trying to chase back the deep sleep she had been in. "That's nice, Kara."
"Come on, come on!" Lena groaned when Kara tugged on the sheets, knowing she would eventually give in if Kara kept begging.
"If I look over and it's not 7 a.m. yet, I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."
Kara tried to rein in her exuberance but Lena could still hear the smile in her voice as she begged.
"Please, Lee?" She peeled back a corner of the blankets and snuggled into Lena's side.
"Let me sleep," Lena grumbled, even less inclined to get up now that Kara's heat was pressed up against her like a radiator molded the shape of her body.
Kara narrowed her eyes and her grin transformed into something sneakier. Rucking up Lena's tee shirt, she licked her lips, her eyes taking in the other girl's skin.
The marks from Lillian's discipline had faded into thin lines a few shades darker than the rest of Lena's skin. Around almost every freckle was a faint hickey from the other night, when Kara had whispered comforting things in Lena's ear until the brunette was on the verge of tears, unused to such a display of affection and attention.
"Kara," Lena gasped, one had on the blonde's chest to keep her from thrusting forward. "This isn't right. I'm not worth it."
"Don't say that." Kara's voice was low and harsh, anger at Lena's self-hatred flashing across her face. "You mean so much to me, Lena."
"Don't." Lena bit her lip and pressed her face into the pillow, hoping the pressure would smother her emotions. "God, Kara, just don't."
But Kara was insistent, her hungry blue eyes wide and dark with desire, her lips desperately trying to capture Lena's. It wasn't the Kara that Lena was familiar with, the student-body-president, captain of several clubs, soccer pro, put together Kara. It was the Kara that she only dreamed of, the Kara that she drew.
"Lena. Look at me. Please." She waited patiently until teary green eyes met blue. "You. Are. Perfect."
With an almost audible crash, Lena's walls broke down.
"I take it the Luthors never made snowmen?" Kara slid her leg over Lena's body and pressed her lips to the dimples in her back.
Lena didn't lift her head, her answer muffled by the pillow. "Never. We made a tunnel system Lex used to help me build igloos, but no snowmen."
Kara was too busy nipping at Lena's skin to answer, her teeth leaving little red marks. For a moment it struck her how significantly her life had changed, from the stifling monotony of Mike to the excitement that always buzzed through her when Lena was in the same room.
She paused, then licked at one of the whip marks, her tongue leaving a hot, wet trail along the skin.
Lena responded subconsciously, her spine curving as a tingling sensation ran through her nerves. "Kara," she warned, already sounding more awake.
"I'll show you how to make a snowman," Kara whispered into the back of her neck, Lena's hair tickling her nose.
"I know how to make a—" Lena broke off into a gasp as Kara bit down on her earlobe with just the right amount of pressure. "I hate you," she grumbled, twisting around and crashing their lips together.
"No you don't," Kara laughed into the kiss, the vibration of her chest resounding in Lena's own.
"No, I don't," Lena agreed, letting Kara push her down into the mattress with the full length of her body. "Who cares about snowmen? Let's stay inside."
But Kara, with a sly grin and bright eyes, pulled away at the last second, leaving Lena frustratingly alone. "I won't kiss you until we make a snowman," she grinned, sitting back so quickly it made Lena dizzy.
"That's completely unfair and you know it," Lena retorted, her annoyance warming her blood. "You're not the business student, I am. I make the deals."
"Like the deal where we snuggle with hot chocolate and a Hallmark Christmas movie after we build the best snowman ever?"
"You're impossible, you know that?"
20 minutes later they were both bundled up and rolling a snowball across the lawn, Krypto and Osh zipping around their feet, and Lena was lamenting her decision to get up.
Just as she turned to voice this to Kara, something hit her flat on the back and exploded into white powder that sprayed in front of her. She whipped around to see Kara, laughing her ass off in the snow, a second snowball still in her hand.
"How dare you?!" Lena said in mock derision, scooping up a handful of snow and packing her own projectile. While Kara was distracted by the end of her laughter, Lena drew back and lobbed the snowball in her direction.
It missed Kara by a good 6 feet and the blonde only laughed harder, her eyes scrunching up.
"I'll give you something to laugh about." Lena narrowed her eyes and whistled for the dogs. As always, Osh ran directly for her. "Fetch!"
He bolted off into the snow, his chest plowing the white powder, and returned a minute later with a wet, dirty tennis ball.
Perfect.
Lena waved it in front of the two dogs, knowing Kara was watching her. Both their heads were following the neon green prize and when she tossed it at Kara, the blonde caught it as a reflex.
"Lena, the point of a snowball fight is to throw snowballs, not—aghhh!"
Kara disappeared under a mountain of fur and snow as both dogs barreled into her, knocking her flat in their quest for the ball. Krypto emerged, victorious, his front paws on Kara's chest and the tennis ball firmly clenched between his jaws, and the blonde's laughter pealed across the snow, making Lena smile.
"You were saying?"
She barely had time to duck when another snowball went whistling over her head, and the war was on.
By the time both girls had exhausted themselves, Eliza had hot chocolate and marshmallows and tea ready for them, as well as breakfast. They traipsed inside, shaking off the snow and hanging up their coats as she watched them from the kitchen, a crossword puzzle by her arm.
"Early start. How's the snow, girls?"
"Amazing." Lena's cheeks were bright red and she rubbed her hands together to warm them up, taking a seat at the counter. "Thanks for having me," she gratefully to Eliza, taking the offered mug. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Eliza smiled as Kara poked her shoulder. "You don't need to say that every day. You're very welcome, Lena, but having you is such a pleasure. You do more cleaning in one day than Kara ever did."
Lena blushed as Kara protested through a mouthful of melted marshmallow.
"What are Christmases like in your house?" Kara asked, a whipped cream mustache on her lip, trying to distract from her flaws as a housekeeper.
"Oh, nothing fancy. Quiet dinners catered by the Luthor mansion staff, fires roaring in the grates, trees in all the common rooms." Lena waved it away. She wouldn't give up her vacation in the Danvers' welcoming, cluttered home for anything in the world.
"Fires, huh." The look on Kara's face made Lena narrow her eyes and the brunette scooted her chair closer.
"Yeah. They weren't much, but they kept the rooms warm." Lena sighed and took a sip of hot chocolate, addressing Eliza even as her eyes never left Kara's face. "Thank you for—"
Eliza lightly bumped her shoulder, cutting her off. "Stop trying to thank me every time I so much as turn a light on for you." Her tone was light and teasing but her eyes sparkled with genuine warmth, quelling Lena's fear that she had somehow offended the woman. In other news, I'm going to visit Alex for a few days. I'll be back on Saturday. Do you girls think you can handle yourselves?"
Already nodding vigorously, Kara gave her mother a hug. "Of course. When's your flight? I'll take you."
Laughing, Eliza kissed the top of her head. "Already that eager to get rid of me, huh? I'm leaving this afternoon, but I'm not flying. I hired a taxi."
"I could have James take you," Lena offered. "Taxis can get expensive, the city's a few hours away."
Eliza shot her daughter a glance and Kara cleared her throat, looking Lena in the eye.
"Actually, um, Lee. I'd rather I drive her. Just—easier, you know?"
Lena felt the heat of embarrassment flush her cheeks and blinked quickly, shame pricking the backs of her eyes. "Oh, god, I didn't—of course, I'm so sorry, you must think I—"
"No, Lena, it's okay." Kara dropped to her knees and reached up to cup her face gently. Eliza left the room to give them some privacy.
"Lena. Look at me," Kara instructed, watching the brunette's eyebrows quirk as she held in her emotions. "You, of all people, don't need to walk on eggshells for me. It's unbelievably sweet and so, so amazing, but you certainly don't need to apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing," her voice darkened. "If I had come sooner, maybe your mom wouldn't have—maybe I could've stopped—"
Kara's throat worked, her blue eyes blazing fiercely. "God, Lena. You deserve so much better than that. You deserve someone loving you with everything they've got, and then some."
Lena shook her head adamantly. Over a decade of Lillian's voice echoed in her ear, telling her that Kara was wrong, that she didn't deserve anything remotely like that, that no one would ever look at her and see someone worth loving. But Kara's eyes burned into her with the intensity of the sun and the words died in her throat.
"You have an awfully high opinion of me, you know that?" she said, trying for humor, but Kara leaned forward and kissed her, butting off all higher thought.
Lena let out a small, satisfied noise at the suddenness of the kiss but she melted into it under Kara's hot focus, her lips parting in response to the pressure bearing down on her.
"I'll drive her up there this afternoon and then we have the house to ourselves for a few days. Okay?"
Lena nodded, breathlessly, not about to disagree with Kara for any reason. "Text me when you get there and before you drive?"
"Of course. Now." Kara gave her a quick peck and sat back in her chair, wrapping her hands around her mug. "I want a rematch from yesterday. Go get the chessboard."
Rolling her eyes, Lena stood up. "You don't have a chance, Danvers."
Kara smirked. "There's that sexy confidence. I knew you had it in you."
"Checkmate."
With a groan, Kara knocked her king over. "It's insane how you do that. That's four in a row!" She started to reset the chessboard and her phone went off, but she hit snooze without looking at it.
"Isn't that the alarm to leave? Your mom is waiting," Lena said, a bit of anxiety creeping into her voice. The few times she'd made Lillian wait for her...well, she hadn't been late in 10 years.
Shaking her head, Kara put her king back in place with a little more force than necessary. "One more."
Seeing Eliza standing in the doorway give her a nod of approval, Lena bit back a smile. "Alright."
Less than two minutes later, Lena palmed Kara's king with a triumphant smile. She looked up to see Eliza laughing in the doorway and something warm blossomed in her chest.
"You know this isn't fair, right? You're, like, a freaking chess prodigy."
Lena shrugged. "You trapped yourself."
"No, you trapped me," Kara grumbled, standing up. "Alright, I'll be back late. Do you need money for dinner?"
Lena raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, waiting for Kara to catch her own faux pas, but the blonde didn't correct herself.
"Listen, just because you're a billionaire doesn't mean I can't buy my girlfriend dinner."
Pale white skin flushed and Lena blinked, her eyes flicking to Eliza then back to Kara. "I...girlfriend?"
"Well, yeah," Kara said with a casual shrug, kissing her like she was going off to work and Lena was a housewife from the 50's. "You didn't think after all this we'd just be friends, did you?" Her outward confidence covered her anxiety, but she was worried she had frightened Lena away by springing it on her.
Lena was adorably perplexed. Sure, you didn't sleep with friends, in their beds, in their underwear. You certainly didn't sleep with friends, but Kara had never said anything about this lasting beyond the break. She had broken up with Mike, fine, but Lena was just along for the ride, content to hold on until Kara decided to kick her to the curb.
She had convinced herself that that would be enough for her.
Despite all that, despite years of forcing herself to hide any semblance of joy lest Lillian take advantage and crush her, she was helpless to stop the wide grin breaking across her face. She bit down on her lip, a flash of white teeth in an attempt to stop herself from smiling, but it proved to be useless because her smile widened even more.
Satisfied with the response to her declaration, Kara kissed her again (in a very non-PG way for it being right in front of her mother, as there was definitely quite a bit of tongue) then turned to Eliza. "Ready to go?"
"I'm ready."
When the house was quiet, Lena sat down, trying to catch her breath.
Girlfriend.
I'm her girlfriend.
She lost herself in giddiness for at least an hour,, then jumped to her feet with an animation that surprised her. Kara was coming back in almost four hours, and Lena was determined to be ready for her.
For the first two hours she completely cleaned the house, the dogs following her through the halls and up the stairs. Kara's room was made spotless, the bed turned down to military-grade standards, the desk cleared. The common rooms were vacuumed, picture frames dusted, old food thrown out from the fridge. She ran two loads of laundry—Kara's hamper was really just a pile in the corner of her room and Lena was afraid bugs were staring to make their home in the sweaty clothes. She cleaned the dog beds, and Krypto and Osh rubbed themselves up and down her legs in appreciation, licking every inch of her skin they could reach.
Around half past 7 she started to cook, and the empty kitchen was filled with the sounds of boiling water and a knife hitting the chopping board.
The door opening made her heart stutter in her chest but she kept stirring the pasta, keeping her eyes down.
"Honey, I'm hooooome!" Kara swung in the door with a dramatic flair and tossed her keys into the bowl. "Wow, that smells amazing," she commented, walking to the kitchen. "Are you—whoa." She stopped short a few meters from her destination.
"Do you like it?" Lena asked timidly, turning the fire down. "I had some time to kill, and I thought I'd clean a little."
"It's spotless..." Kara's voice came out a little hoarse. Lena must have slaved away for hours, if she was remembering the cluttered state her house had been in.
"I also tidied your bedroom a little, did some laundry."
"You...cleaned my room?"
Mistaking Kara's apprehension for annoyance, Lena was spiraling in a split second.
"I'm so sorry I didn't ask permission, just, I knew you were driving and I didn't want to distract you and I thought, maybe, I mean, I don't know I thought you needed some floor space? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have invaded your privacy, I can—I can fix it if you don't like it, if it's too much 'Luthor', the clinical way I've cleaned everything, if you don't—"
As Lena rambled, Kara had slowly been walking closer and closer, the beginnings of a smile tugging at her mouth. When Lena looked like she was about to pass the point of no return, she grabbed the other girl's shoulders, jarring her out of her torrent of apologies.
"Lena. Are you...apologizing to me for cleaning?"
"I...yes?" Lena lost her train of thought when Kara entered her space, those warm hands burning through her sleeves, and Kara hid a spark of pleasure at the effect she had on the otherwise impermeable girl.
"Look, I know you were raised with rules. I know that you've had to bend yourself to way too many rules since you were a child. But I'm making one more rule for you."
Nodding, Lena swallowed. "What is it? Is it the cleaning? I'm sorry, I know it looks like my house. I ruin everything, It doesn't even look like anyone lives here—"
"Lena! Hang on a second." Kara's eyebrows were furrowed, the crinkle deep in her skin, and she pulled Lena over to the couch. "Listen to me, baby. Just for a second."
The nickname made her into a pile of mush, ready to do anything Kara asked.
"I love that you cleaned my house. Eliza is likely to adopt you for it, and I finally remember what the floor looks like. You can even see the spot where Krypto peed on the carpet the second week we got him. But here's my rule."
Lena waited nervously.
"No more apologizing."
"I know, I'm sorry I—what?"
Kara smiled, her arms around Lena's shoulders. "No more apologizing."
"What if we fight?"
Kara stifled a groan. Leave it Lena to try to worm her way out of not apologizing. "I doubt we'll fight, Lena."
"But girlfriends always fight. You don't have to want to, it just happens."
"If we ever do fight, I'll be the one apologizing because you're always right."
"Not always," Lena murmured into Kara's shoulder.
"You're right most of the time," Kara conceded, pulling Lena onto her lap. The other girl wrapped her her arms and legs around Kara, clinging on like a koala and burying her face in the space between Kara's neck and collarbone.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Lena mumbled, her lips brushing Kara's skin.
"Because I love you, you dork." Kara could smell Lena's shampoo and sweat and she nuzzled her neck, playfully biting at the pale skin. "Because you're amazing and kind and wonderful and you deserve the whole world, and I'm going to give it to you."
Hot liquid dripped onto her collarbone and Kara frowned, trying to pull Lena away from her. "Lena?"
Lena just shook her head, sniffling.
"Baby? Are you crying?"
At the sweet concern in Kara's voice, Lena lifted her tear-stained face. "I'm not good with feelings, Kara," she said brokenly, her green eyes watery and rimmed red.
"That's okay. I'm not saying it so you'll say it, I'm saying it so you know. I really do love you, Lena."
The admiration in Kara's voice almost made her afraid more than it comforted her, but earnest, blue eyes burned away any shadow of a doubt. With Kara, she was safe. With Kara, she could be herself and nothing bad would happen, at least for now.
"I love you, too."
The phone rang at 8 the next morning. Lena rolled over with a groan, pleasantly sore in all the right places,
"Hello?"
"Darling. I'm glad I caught you."
Her back stiffened and the sheets fell down. "How did you get this number?"
"I'm not stupid, you know."
Shooting Kara's still-sleeping form a glance, Lena slipped into a robe and into the hallway. "What do you want, mother?" The words came out harsher than she meant them to and she winced at the cold response.
"Don't talk back to me. I'm the one whose name is on the credit card, after all."
Making her way downstairs, Lena took a deep breath. "You really think money will keep me tied to you? I have shares in my own name, you know. It's one of the perks of being a Luthor."
Lillian sighed over the phone, breathy and annoyed that her first ploy hadn't worked. "Let's not fight over the details. You know money doesn't matter to me. What I want is a relationship with my daughter."
"It's a little too late for that, don't you think? Why are you calling."
"I just don't think your doing the right thing."
"Me?" Lena said incredulously, one finger twisting her hair in nervous habit. "You're the one who told Eliza Danvers you didn't care what happened to me. This was your idea, my staying with them."
"I'm just afraid this insignificant...dalliance you're having with this Danvers girl is going to distract you from achieving your dreams."
"My dreams, or yours?" Lena hissed, standing in the middle of Kara's living room. "I have my own ideas of success, mother."
"No doubt birthed from what I've taught you."
"No. You don't get to do that." Lena glared at her reflection in the black TV screen, scowling at herself. "You don't get to turn this around and make me look like the bad guy." Her voiced shook and she clenched a hand into a tight fist, her knuckles whitening.
"Fine. End up begging for change on the side of the road, if you like. But when the time comes, just remember who your family is. Who will always be there for you."
"You have never been there for me!" Her voice raised, but the anger that spiked with it drowned out her worry at waking Kara. "You say you taught me how to dream of success, but all you taught me was anger! You don't want me believing in myself because then I won't need you," she realized, the epiphany sucking the air out of her lungs.
"Oh, please, Lena. Do you really think I would be so selfish as to dumb you down?" Lillian scoffed, but she was playing the long game. She kept her voice even. "It wasn't easy, raising you properly, with such a mind as yours. No other mother could have done it."
"You were a terrible mother! Why can't you just—" Lena faltered at the sight of Kara on the steps, blonde hair messy from sleep but her eyes wide and worried. "Just leave me alone," she said tiredly, holding the phone by her ear. Lillian didn't appreciate being hung up on and it wasn't something she was capable of doing, but the speed at which the conversation had turned into an argument had made her head spin in frustrated exhaustion.
"I may be a horrible mother, but I'm the one who raised you," Lillian hissed angrily. "Not Eliza Danvers, not anyone else." Her voice took on a cruel, mocking tone and Lena's veins turned to ice. "Nature versus nurture, Lena. You're a Luthor through and through, and sooner or later Kara is going to realize that and turn her back on you. And then all you'll have is me."
The click in her ear told her that Lillian had been the one to hang up. She let her arm drop down, the phone hanging loosely from her hand, and swayed slightly.
In seconds, Kara's arms were around her.
"Lena. Come on, sit down. What happened?"
"Lillian. I—She—"
"She what?" Kara asked gently.
Lena just shook her head, curling up on Kara's lap. She was crying again, and she hated crying in front of people—even Kara—so she folded in on herself, her throat closing.
"Tell me what you need, Lee."
For a moment, Lena didn't say anything, drawing panicked breaths and looking clearly overwhelmed. Then, with a wet gasp, she choked out the words, sounding more vulnerable than Kara had ever heard her.
"Hold me?"
Kara's arms turned to vices around her, crushing Lena into her and pressing her cheek to Lena's chest. They sat there until Lena caught her breath, and still they didn't move.
It wasn't for another half hour that Lena finally looked Kara in the eye, emerging from the safety of Kara's neck.
"Do you hate me?"
Kara blinked, not understanding. "What?"
"My mother. She said you'd realize I was just like her and you'd hate me. And that I'd have no one left but her."
"That's absurd, Lena. Of course I don't hate you! And I would never abandon you," she said earnestly, "Never."
Lena's face crumpled and she buried her face in Kara's shoulder, letting out a muffled sob that was heavy with relief. Kara rubbed her back, swirling patterns under the robe as Lena breathed little puffs against her chest.
"Anyone that can't see how amazing you are is blind. You know that, right?" Kara nudged her with a shoulder, careful not to move her too much.
"I'm really not that great," Lena said wetly, her legs wrapping around Kara's back.
"You're not great, you're incredible," Kara countered, punctuating the sentence with a nibble to Lena's ear. "You're so incredibly smart, and incredibly brave, and incredibly beautiful." Each compliment was followed by a kiss until Lena sighed, finally letting the tension out of her shoulders.
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?" Kara nipped at her ear, not missing the way Lena twitched in response.
"You always know how to make me feel better."
Kara grinned, her eyes lighting up at that. Every time she'd been able to pull Lena out of the dumps was a crowning achievement in her book, and now was no different. "I'm telekinetic."
A perfect eyebrow arched and Lena sniffled, tears drying on her face. "You can move things with your mind?"
"Oh, shoot. I mean, telepathic." Kara's grin widened as Lena giggled, her throat vibrating. "Either way, I love you."
"You really mean that?" Lena whispered, hating the way she needed to ask for assurance, the way that Lillian's voice nagged at her saying that Kara was lying.
"I really do. But I don't love you enough to let you win at Scrabble," Kara teased, her warm voice dispelling Lillian's whisper. She kissed the tip of Lena's nose. "Come on. Board games and breakfast?'
Detaching herself from Kara, Lena rolled her eyes. "You don't let me win, I let you lose not as badly."
"Sure, sure. I'll get the board if you start making omelets?"
Lena squinted at her. "Is this because you burned the eggs last time?"
"I don't think 'absurded' is a word, Kara."
"That's just because you haven't heard it yet," Kara defended herself, stealing a bite of Lena's omelet.
"Hey!"
"Hey what? I made these," Kara grinned, reaching for the plate.
Lena swatted her hand away. "You did not," she rolled her eyes. "You made me cook."
"I don't think it counts as making you if you wanted to," Kara pointed out, picking through the Scrabble pieces.
"I don't think it counts as wanting to if you kissed me until I couldn't argue with you," Lena retorted, then they both dissolved into giggles.
"How crazy is this?" Kara murmured into her neck once they were back on the couch. "I get to kiss you whenever I want."
With a heavy sigh, Lena melted into Kara's arms. "You always could, Kara." The underlying current of sadness in her voice didn't go unmissed and the blonde squeezed harder.
"You know what I mean, Lee."
"What about when—"
They both looked up when three sharp raps sounded on the door. Kara peered at the window, unable to see out of it from her spot on the couch.
"Eliza's home early," she said in a confused voice, going to unlock the door. "I hope everything's alright."
Lena heard Kara's gasp of surprise from the other room and shot to her feet, hurrying to the door. "Kara? Is it—oh." She drew up short, her mouth opened in a surprised 'o' at the sight of a very bedraggled Mike standing in the doorway.
His eyes fastened on her and he stood up straight, and even though she was standing behind Kara, Lena still stumbled back a step. He looked a little wild-eyed for 11 in the morning and she wondered if he was about to try to start a fight. Her eyes flicked over to Kara, who was looking uncomfortably between them.
"Um, Mike. I know I said I'd call but I've been a little busy—"
"I need to talk to you." Despite his unkempt appearance, his voice was steady and Lena was at least assured that he was sober and they didn't have to reason with an unreasonable man.
"Mike," Kara wheedled, keeping the door half-closed. "It's really not a good time. I'll call you, I promise."
"Not you. I need to talk to you."
Lena met his gaze unflinchingly but her mind was racing. What could he possibly have to say to her, after everything? No doubt he was furious, he hated her for ruining his life, he wanted to make it clear that she wasn't welcome.
Even as Kara put a comforting hand on her shoulder, her confidence wavered. "Why me?"
"Just—I just need a few minutes. Please."
"Lena," Kara said in a warning tone. It was clear that she didn't want Lena going off with Mike, though Lena couldn't tell what exactly she was worried about. Did she think Mike would try to do anything?
With a stiff nod, Lena cleared her throat. "We can talk. But I'd rather talk inside."
Mike shifted, running a hand through his hair and leaving it sticking up. "Fine. I just don't...Kara, can you leave or something?"
"You do know this is my house, right?" Kara said coolly, her eyes narrowing. "And after what you've said, you'd be crazy to think I'd leave you alone with Lena."
"Kara. It's fine," Lena muttered, her eyes not leaving Mike's. She was already steeling herself for a difficult conversation and wanted to get it over with. If they didn't talk now, Mike would never leave them alone, and as reluctant as she was to be alone with him, she recognized the hurt in his eyes. It was the look of someone that knew they had no control over their situation but it was still painful, and it reminded her so closely of herself before she left New York and met Kara that pity seeped into her.
With a huff, Kara tossed her hair and stepped away from the doorway, leaving room for Mike to come in. "I'm going to shower. Don't destroy my house. And," she added, looking over her shoulder, "Don't do anything stupid, Mike. I mean it." Her eyes flashed on the last word and he held his hands up in surrender.
"I promise," he said, but the grin he gave Lena made her shiver.
Hi ik this took forever, i had finals come up and tried to write at work but actually had to do my job for once. I'll stop making Lena cry after this i promise!