Lena checked the time again and did her absolute best not to bounce on the balls of her feet. She eyed the wine cabinet longingly for a minute, tempted to soothe her nerves with a glass, but unwilling to let anything hinder her senses tonight. She had everything prepared hours ago and was just waiting for the damn clock to tick closer to the predetermined time when she could see Kara.
After a week spent in each other's orbit, she thought this would be less nerve wracking, just another night spent with the two of them.
She couldn't be more wrong.
This was a moment she had been waiting years for, planned countless times only to discard it as wishful thinking. Now it was here. Despite every detail being meticulously arranged she felt ill prepared. Her stomach was rolling over with nervous anticipation and her hands felt clammy from all the stress she seemed incapable of ridding herself of.
She had been second guessing herself all day. Going over everything a dozen times in her mind. She had to keep reminding herself that it was just Kara. She knew if all she had planned were potstickers and icecream Kara would be insisting, with genuine enthusiasm, it was the best date she had ever gone on and, knowing this about her, Lena had on more than one occasion nearly scrapped everything to do just that. However, this was a moment she felt deserving of more intentional planning than a simple meal and some wine.
Her nerves pricked at the back of her mind like an unrelenting force and she took a few long slow breaths to try and settle them. Her phone buzzed in her hand and a message from Frank lit up the front of her screen. Her heart leapt out of her chest and for all her restless energy she had to actively fight the growing smile on her face. This was it. Finally.
She did one more quick check in the mirror, praying for her hands to stop shaking with all the pent up anticipation and her heart raced with a fresh wave of excitement before she locked up and made her way down to Frank.
"Miss Luthor." Frank stood tall with one hand behind his back and the other extended as he held the door open for her.
"Good evening Frank." Lena smiled kindly at him and was pleased that the shake in her voice didn't seem to be prominent enough for him to notice. At least that's what she thought until he offered his hand to help her step into the car and uncharacteristically leaned forward, his head tilting ever so slightly to meet her eyes. "Take a breath Miss Luthor." He said in a warm, comforting tone and Lena found herself exhaling in response looking at him appreciatively.
"I don't think I've ever felt more nervous in my entire life." She confessed.
"You look great, the evening you have planned, well it isn't typical, but Kara will be…" He paused as a wide smile lifted his normally stoic face, softening it instantly around the corners of his eyes and Lena could see the deep fondness he also held for the charismatic blonde instantly. A light chuckle of amusement escaped his lips before he shook his head. "She will be bursting at the seams with excitement. You have nothing to fear tonight." Lena squeezed his proffered hand lightly allowing a little bit of his confidence to seep into her bones as she breathed in deeply from her nose and tucked herself into the cabin of the car.
The drive to Kara's apartment was a short one, and did little to settle the growing tension in her shoulders as her hands twisted and pulled relentlessly at a scrap piece of paper advertising a random insurance company that wasn't properly discarded the last time she took home paperwork and mail from her office. When the car came to a stop in front of Kara's home she felt her heart do a weird flutter before lodging itself into her throat and for a few seconds she seemed incapable of moving.
Panic gripped at her in a way she had only ever experienced one other time in her life and the feeling was wholly unwelcomed. She closed her eyes and swallowed suddenly feeling very parched and felt her pulse pounding in her neck. In just a few short minutes she was going to lead Kara from her home and begin an evening she hoped would be the first of many more to come. In the back of her mind she knew she didn't need to worry, she knew things between them had never been better. Which should've bolstered her confidence and left her feeling relaxed and assured, but all it really did was make it feel like everything hinged on this night going perfectly. Frank opened her door and as soon as she stood from her seated position and faced the weathered red brick building her feet began to move of their own accord, guiding her on instinct as much as on adrenaline towards Kara.
Standing at the threshold of Kara's door, Lena took one last moment to let this night and all its potential sink in, before her own desperate need to see the person beyond it overcame her ability to stall any longer. Two short rapt knocks later the dimly lit hallway was illuminated with a band of light, the warm soft glow of it haloing around Kara's features and Lena felt the tension that had been coiling into a tight viciscious knot inside her since this morning snap.
"Wow."
"Oh!"
The words collided together in the air between them in quiet, mutual awe. The warmth of Kara's beaming smile loosened her tense muscles and the gentle creases at the sides of her eyes melted away her apprehension and suddenly Lena found her own smile rivaling Kara's. In an instant all her worry and nerves dissolved as Kara took Lena's hand and stepped back, "Lena," Kara breathed her voice a low whisper as she guided her around the open door and into the light. "You look great. More than great actually, I'm, oh Rao, I think I'm overdressed. Should I change?" Kara's eyebrows furrowed and she nodded to herself. "I should change." She turned towards her room to make good on her assertions and Lena stopped her with a gentle squeeze of her hand.
"No." She found herself saying in a near whisper.
Kara turned in her spot with a worried almost fretful expression and Lena internally shook herself out of her dazed wonder in order to speak. "You look..." Lena's eyes couldn't decide where to settle, roaming over every inch of Kara as she took all of her in. Kara had woven a soft braided updo that was simple in technique yet elegantly styled and left tendrils of hair to fall at the base of her neck in gentle curls, framing her eyes perfectly. Her gaze then flitted to the sweep of exposed skin on her shoulders and arms, highlighting the gentle definitions of muscles that barely scratched the surface of the sheer power she possessed within. Then there was the sea of red as her eyes trailed ever downward, taking in Kara's chosen outfit for the evening. It wasn't overly revealing as nothing Kara wore ever was, but it was edgier than any other outfit Lena had ever seen Kara wear. The matching heels that she paired with it only added more height to Kara's long and lean frame keeping Lena at a similar height disadvantage even with her own four inch heels at play.
She, herself, had chosen to wear a charcoal gray blouse that dipped low enough to be revealing without being overly flashy and paired it with black pants and boots and wore a knee length burgundy trench coat for a pop of color. She also had on a small golden necklace with an angled pendant that rested in the hollow between her clavicle and a matching set of earrings. She had debated back and forth between her hair being pulled up in a tight updo of some sort or leaving it down. In the end she decided on the latter, blow drying it out into a soft gentle wave that bounces lightly when she moves.
Lena took a small step forward closing in the space between them, the hand holding Kara in place moved up to her exposed shoulders where she twirled a finger in Kara's loose strand of hair before her eyes found a sea of blue staring back at her with an expression that conveyed, more than words ever could, how much Kara was enraptured by Lena's presence. "You look incredible." Kara exhaled a short breath in relief and her eyes crinkled happily at the corners. "I've been waiting a very long time for this night."
Lena leaned forward kissing Kara feather light on her cheek so as not to stain it with her lipstick which nearly matched her coat in color. Lena's eyes danced happily as Kara's smile grew even wider. "You ready?" She softly asked, her heart doing a little leap at the small question that would start off their night. Kara nodded shyly and Lena bit her lower lip as she laced Kara's hand into hers to lead them out. Kara took two steps before she halted all together, her eyes wide.
"Oh, wait! I almost forgot." She pulled away quickly and turned her head as she walked briskly towards her bedroom.
Lena chuckled lightly as she crossed her arms and stepped closer to the dining room as she watched Kara disappear into her bedroom. There was a small amount of rustling before she quickly reemerged, hands held outward and fisted tightly as she held her clutch under her left arm. "Ok. Pick one." Kara said happily and Lena crooked her head to the side in confusion.
"What is this?" She asked instead as she took in Kara's growing enthusiasm and the two balled up hands held out just an arms length away from her.
"Just pick one and you'll see." Kara said playfully. Lena reached out to pick one and Kara drew back her hands quickly, her eyebrows shooting up in a playful challenge. "But! You have to choose wisely. They aren't the same."
"Hmmm." Lena crossed her arms and gave a consternated look as she stared at the two fists on display. "How can I choose wisely if I have nothing to go off of?" She asked in her own amused challenge. Kara giggled and Lena couldn't help smile in return at the beautiful sound.
"That's for you to figure out and for me to know." She answered back cryptically as she shook her hands enticingly drawing Lena's attention back to the matter of choosing one.
Lena hummed as she pretended to look troubled before quickly choosing Kara's right hand. "That one."
Kara pulled her lips into her mouth as she slowly twisted her hand around, opening it up for the big reveal.
"A penny?" Lena asked and a small scoff of laughter broke free with the comment as she plucked it out of Kara's hand holding it up with her fingers questioningly.
"I like to think of it as a token." Kara opened up her other hand to reveal a nickel.
"I see…" Lena said slowly. "And the nickel?"
"You'll just have to wait until later to find out." Kara wiggled her eyes and then pointedly stared at the penny still pinched between Lena's fingers. "Don't lose it."
"It's a penny, I'm sure I could find another." Lena laughed.
"It's a special penny, Lena." Kara said seriously. Lena struggled to protest when just a second later Kara's lower lip protruded out in that playful pout she found so hard to resist. She laughed and opened her purse, taking out her wallet and placing the penny in front of her ID so that it was separated from the rest of her change. She turned it over in her hand to show Kara who lit up like a Christmas tree and then tucked it back away in her purse. "Ok, it's safe."
"Good." Kara grinned a toothy grin and raised her hand. "Shall we, then?"
Lena took Kara's hand, folding it neatly into her own and adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder as she gave a quick firm nod narrowing her eyes light-heartedly. "Yes. Prepare to be wooed, Miss Danvers." Lena said with a low rumble to her voice.
"Oh, yes." Kara laughed. "Woo away."
The drive was a fast one and before Lena had time to really question Kara's little mystery game they were out of the car again and walking towards National City Boardwalk at the bay. The sun was just starting its final journey past the horizon and it painted the sky a beautiful mix of pinks and purples on its descent. As they stepped out of the car the bay greeted them with a gentle, salty breeze and ambient noise of seagulls and water as it lapped lazily at the shoreline. Boats of various shapes and sizes dotted the horizon with tiny orbs of light that reflected back off the surface of the water. People were bustling about in pairs or in families as they meandered through shops and concessions and Lena could hear a band not too far off in the distance playing a rock ballad she wasn't familiar with. It struck her then that she didn't venture too far out of her normal schedule on a consistent basis, her eyes finding new and refreshing things to land upon as they skittered across the vast boardwalk.
"It's so beautiful at night." Murmured Kara as she came up next to Lena, the side of her arm brushing against her own.
Lena nodded. "I just realized I don't come here often enough."
Kara hummed in agreement. "Me either. I always mean to, but it's never something I take time away for." They walked through a large archway with the words National City Boardwalk on proud display as the pathway opened up to a wide open space where a street performer was dazzling a bunch of children by spinning several balls simultaneously, one on top of the other. Just on the other side of the small crowd was another gaggle of people as children danced and ran, playing with the geysers of water that sprayed upward or arched in perfect curves along a circular splash pad.
"So this is just a first stop. We have another place we have to be in about…" Lena checked her watch and smiled "an hour and half or so."
"Oh? So do I get to know where we are going or is it just as much of a mystery as the rest of the date?" Kara asked as she nudged Lena on the shoulder.
"Tell me what the penny's about and maybe I'll let you in on my secret." Lena challenged back her eyebrow arching in question.
Kara narrowed her eyes and then broke into a boisterous laugh. "Well played Luthor, but not just yet."
Lena shrugged, perfectly content in letting both things remain a mystery for now and pointed towards the end of the boardwalk where some stairs led up to a few shops and a brick oven pizza place well known for their hand tossed homemade dough. "First dinner."
"Pizza?!" Kara exclaimed excitedly.
Lena looked apprehensively at Kara's reaction. "This was seriously the hardest part of the date to decide. I can still get us into that French restaurant you pine after so much but I figured this was—" Kara turned and pulled Lena close, hugging her tightly to her chest and effectively cutting her off.
"Pizza is one of my favorite foods!"
Lena laughed as the tension in her muscles relaxed, her arms wrapped around Kara's shoulders to better anchor herself. "Well, we just had potstickers a few nights ago, so pizza was my next best option. Bella Notte's has the best."
"I know! I hope we can get seated though. I've only been able to eat here a handful of times because the wait is always so terrible." Kara commented as she bounded up the steps and opened the door, holding it open for Lena to walk through. Lena bit the inside of her cheek to keep the smug look off her face and turned around quickly to watch Kara's reaction go from excited to confused to disappointed as she looked around the empty restaurant.
"Oh it's closed." Kara said and she smiled weakly at Lena who looked unperturbed.
"Buonasera signorina Luthor, Benvenuti a Bella Notte!" A large gentleman came around the counter in a crisp white chef's coat and hat and greeted Lena with a kiss to the cheek. "Abbiamo quasi tutto preparato, per favore vieni a sederti." He said as he gestured to the table in the middle.
Lena smiled happily back at him as she pulled away from his warm greeting and wrapped her arm behind Kara's back pulling her close. "Grazie Alessio, e grazie per avermi permesso di requisire il tuo ristorante con un preavviso così breve."
"It is my pleasure to host such a lovely pair of ladies." Alessio boasted with a thick lilt to his voice. He gestured widely again to a lone table in the center of the restaurant that had already been set for the evening. A bottle of chardonnay was nestled in a bucket of ice off to the side. "Please sit."
Kara looked over to Lena with a soft smile. "What?" Lena couldn't help but ask.
"Nothing, I just didn't realize you could speak Italian."
Lena shrugged, "All part of Lillian's attempts to make me a refined, well rounded, and shrewd woman of business."
"Well, she succeeded, you are as shrewd as they come." Kara said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes as she reached for one of the breadsticks Alessio had placed on Lena's plate.
"Only when it comes to wryly blondes with a penchant for stealing breadsticks." Lena said as she swatted at Kara's hand. She plucked the breadstick from her plate and took a deliberately large bite out of it as Kara laughed, putting her hands up in surrender.
"See I'm already learning new things about you tonight. You speak Italian, you're not one to share when it comes to savory bread slathered in garlic and herbs and you will go to incredible lengths to get me alone." She waved her hand at the empty restaurant. "That last one really wasn't necessary, but I am pleasantly impressed by it."
"Good to know I've still got some charm left…" Lena teased back, offering up a breadstick with a smile. Kara's eyes lit up as she accepted it with enthusiasm that rivaled a six year old when visiting Disney world for the first time. "I did promise to sweep you off your feet tonight, so hopefully this is a good step in that direction."
Kara smiled softly as she said through her mouthful, "Pizza is one of my favorite food groups, you're doing a great job so far." Lena bit back a soft chuckle as Kara swallowed and took a quick sip of water. "But you should know, I don't care what we do, what we eat or where we go. I'm just happy it's you that I'm with tonight." A fresh wave of confidence washed over Lena that she was grateful for, nearly forgetting completely how much of a fidgeting mess she was before. Kara's presence had a way of soothing her frazzled nerves and she was finding herself relaxing more and more by the second. Alessio came back as if on queue and began the process of opening up the bottle of chardonnay. Kara moved her glass a little to allow him to reach it easier, her attention solely fixed on Lena.
"I'm glad. I have to admit, I was freaking out early, but I have a feeling as the night progresses I could easily make at least the top 20 of best dates you've ever been on, once you see what we are doing next." Lena took a sip of water while she waited for the chardonnay to be served.
Kara laughed, "That won't be too hard of a challenge, I've had—" a loud pop followed by a distinct shatter sound resounded through the empty room as the bottle in Alessio's hand slipped out of his grasp and fell hitting the table at the perfect angle causing the shattered glass and contents of the bottle to spill all across Kara's lap. Kara gasped in shock, instinctively pushing back away from the table, her arms coming up wide as she looked down at her ruined outfit in shock and surprise. Lena stood up in a flash, her hands falling on the table as she leaned forward to see the damage in better detail. "Kara!" She exclaimed.
"Oh mio Dio! No! Sono così dispiaciuto. È scivolato. Ti prego perdonami!" Alessio put his hand to his forehead in horror before spouting off apology after apology in Italian in rapid succession. Alessio produced a kitchen towel seemingly from somewhere within his chef's coat still muttering and fretting over the mess he just made and handed it to Kara who stood and started swiping it down her lap trying to rid it of the pools of wine and shards of glass. "It's ok, it was an accident." She frowned at the splotches of discoloration and was a little bummed she'd spend the rest of the evening smelling like Chardonnay.
"I'll get more towels, Miss, forgive me. Forgive me." He walked off quickly in pursuit of cleaning supplies.
"This is… what can I do? How can I help?" Lena asked, worry etched across her face as she approached Kara's side, her hands extended but faltering unsure how she could possibly provide help given the circumstances.
"It really is fine Lena, just a bit cold and wet that's all. No real harm done." Kara tried to assure her as she continued to dab at her legs and stomach. Lena frowned and seemed unconvinced. She quickly took off her coat and draped it over Kara's shoulders. "Here."
Kara stopped swiping her outfit and stared blankly at the coat. Then looked up at Lena and smiled and shook her head. "What are you doing?"
"You can at least put this on over it."
"It's fine, really." It's not like she hasn't endured worse, her super suits have taken on more damage than this. It's just… not ideal, but she refused to let a little liquid ruin this date.
Lena gave her a look. "I know it comes naturally for you to be the hero, but let me do this for you and after dinner we can stop at one of those shops so you can change."
Kara looked behind her to see the shops she was referring to and the ones that weren't selling year round Christmas decorations, souvenirs and jewelry were selling tie dye NC Boardwalk t-shirts with safari hats and sandals.
"Or I could just change at my place and be back before the salad arrives?" Kara suggests, because she's thinking she can maybe pull off the dreamsicle dress and be better off with whatever Lena had planned for after dinner.
Lena shook her head and chuckled lightly. "No shortcuts tonight."
Kara placed the soiled towel on an empty plate as she sits back down and sighs exaggeratedly but smiles as Lena sits down across from her. "Fine, but only because I kinda really want that shirt in the window display."
Lena smiled and sat back down as well. Alessio quickly came and cleaned up the mess as two other waiters helped reset the table and brought out extra breadsticks. "So much for top 20, now I'll be lucky to make top 100." Lena remarked. Kara's eyes bounced up to meet Lena's and they stared at each other for a brief silent moment before they both broke and laughed.
"Are you kidding? They just gave us more breadsticks! I'll spill my next glass on purpose if it means I get some free dessert out of it!" Kara mused. Lena shook her head. "Plus you'd really be surprised at how unlucky I am when it comes to dating. Have I ever told you about the time I broke someone's nose?" Kara said as she grabbed another breadstick.
"You're kidding? Well serves him right I guess for harassing you." Lena said as she tried to imagine someone unknowingly provoking a kryptonian.
Kara tittered and shook her head. "That would have been easier to live with. No, it–" Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment and she groaned, "I broke his nose when I tried to kiss him…" Her head fell into her hand with a loud slap and Lena found herself laughing once again.
"Oh my god, that's, that's seriously the best thing I've ever heard." Lena said through her laughter.
"No! No, it's not! It was awful, It was my first kiss! Well would have been…" Kara groaned again in palmed her face trying to rub out the embarrassment she felt at the memory. "He was crying, his nose was bloody and his parents thought I had punched him in the face!" Kara winced lightly at that particular memory.
'Still better than when Lillian made me go out with a man twice my age. He was certifiably deaf, refused to wear hearing aids and was so hairy I thought for the first half of the date that he had been wearing a sweater underneath his shirt!"
"That doesn't sound so bad. I literally broke a bone, ape man doesn't come close!"
Lena shot her eyebrow up, her eyes meeting Kara's in a playful challenge. "He dipped too. He would spit the tobacco out into a plastic cup filled with paper towels but some of it still dripped onto his beard."
Kara's face scrunched up in disgust. "Ew, ok, about to eat soon…"
Lena continued anyway, "Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, he asked me to scratch his back because he couldn't reach and then lifted his shirt exposing his hair sweater."
"Tell me you didn't." Kara gaped and then looked at Lena in horror when she didn't respond immediately. "Oh Lena, please tell me you didn't!"
"I wish I could."
"No." Kara gasped.
"Yes."
Kara made a face and stomped her feet quickly as her body shuddered repulsively. "Eeeewww! You win, you win." Lena smiled smugly. "I feel a strong compulsion to ask if it was just as sweaty as I'm imagining it to be but I might lose my appetite." Kara laughed.
Lena shuddered and shook her head as she clenched her eyes closed in a grimace. "Ugh! Don't remind me! Now I feel like I need to wash my hands just from thinking about it!" They both laughed and continued to tease each other as the rest of dinner, to Lena's relief, went by without another hitch. Kara barely mentioned her wet outfit other than at one point excusing herself to go to the bathroom and coming back dry but with clearly marked stains down the front of her outfit. She shrugged sheepishly, but otherwise made no comment about it. By the time they had stepped out of the restaurant she seemed to have forgotten about it completely.
Lena opened the door to one of the shops gesturing for Kara to follow her. "Come on. Let's find you a clean outfit, before we move on."
"But the splotches are adding character to my otherwise very fashionable look…" Kara said sarcastically.
Lena shook her head. "Trust me, you don't want to be smelling of alcohol where we are going next. Though the bread and pizza smell might work in your favor." Lena smiled as she watched Kara try to work out what that could possibly mean.
"Don't play coy with me, I know this is all just a huge elaborate ruse to get me undressed." Kara said as she stepped inside the shop.
"You caught me, I paid extra for Alessio to make it look like an accident. I guess I'll need to go back and ask for a refund now. He clearly overselled his acting skills." Lena said rolling her eyes.
Lena's shoulders shook with amusement. "If I knew that all I needed to do was buy you this shirt on our first date to win you over, I wouldn't have gone through all the trouble I went through."
Kara came out of the fitting room wearing her new apparel proudly as she practically bounced her way back to Lena with a wide cheesy grin on her face. She giggled at her own admittedly over excited behavior. "I can't help it, between you, the amazing pizza, and this lovely tie dye t-shirt, I think I'm having a pretty awesome night!" Lena smiled happily at that.
Kara's eyes lit up. "I'm doing it… I'm cashing in my nickel!"
"You're what?" Lena asked, instantly confused, having nearly forgotten about Kara's mystery game.
Kara bit her lip and if Lena thought she was excited before she had sorely underestimated the depths of enthusiasm Kara was able to achieve. Her smile grew wider as she pulled out the coin and squeaked out a delighted little sound of excitement when she placed it in Lena's hand. Who had reached for it on instinct but she held it out in between them as if it would somehow enlighten her on its meaning.
Kara, thankfully, took pity on her and she started to explain. "It's a silly game me and Alex used to play. Whoever gets the nickel gets to redeem it at any part of the day for something they want. Alex gets so mad cause I always use mine on food." Lena smiled and looked down at the nickel having an idea of what the items Kara was about to ask for were. "So I guess you'd like to go back and order more of those breadsticks then?"
When Kara shook her head and grabbed an obnoxiously large straw hat and put it on with a flourish Lena pursed her lips and crossed her arms.
"Are you sure you want to use it on that? You don't know what's coming next." Lena asked.
Kara cinched up the ridiculous looking Indiana Jones hat and smiled. "That's a risk I'm willing to take, and because that leaves you with a choice. You can use your penny to veto my choice rendering both our coins void, or you can hold onto it and use it later. With it you can request any one thing."
"So that I understand the rules of this game, what you're saying is the nickel has only one perk; any one item of the owner's choosing, but the penny has two perks, I can either veto your request or hold onto it and use it later on anything of my choosing."
"Yep, pretty much." Kara giggled at Lena's blank expression. "I know, its incredibly childish and stupid…" Kara shrugged seemingly unbothered. "I just thought it'd be fun to…"
"On anything?" Lena asked, cutting her off. "Anything at all?"
"Well we typically limit the request to something within reason, but generally speaking yes, anything." Kara agreed.
"Interesting."
"So?" Kara smiled. "What will it be? Veto? Or do I get this amazing hat to go with my ensemble and you get to keep your penny?
Lena smirked as she held up her card. "You are really going to regret this."
Kara giggled and plucked the card from Lena's hand and headed to the register. "Oh, I really don't think I will."
"I regret it. I regret it so so much!" Kara lamented. "I want one of these instead."
Lena watched amusedly as she nestled into her own little corner of the couch. The puppy in her arms fumbled slightly and fell backwards with a small little whimper before bumbling to his six brothers and sisters who were pouncing, licking and nipping as they clambered all over Kara. She giggled and laughed as she scooped three up and held them to her face.
"I told you." Lena laughed as Kara rolled around with the puppies. The momma of the pups lazily nestled down near Lena's side and propped her head on Lena's lap, nudging her hand for attention in the process.
"They're so soft and fluffy and agghhh, I've never in my life regretted anything more at this moment. Look at these adorable squishy wittle faces!" Kara said as she nuzzled them with her nose. Then she looked up with piercingly blue eyes wide and pouting. "Don't you want to use your penny now? Look at this one, she's saying "Lena, take me home with you."
Lena laughed and shook her head. "Absolutely not. I am in no position to own a pet. Let alone an 8 week old puppy." Kara's pout only increased and Lena to her detriment started mentally trying to work out how she could make it work, then shook her head even more adamantly, alarmed at how willingly she almost caved. "Put that lip away Kara or we will leave."
Kara sucked it up into her mouth and then her attention shifted to one of the more rowdy ones in the litter as it squeaked out a tiny bark and pounced on Kara's chest, biting at the drawstring of Kara's hat. She giggled as she picked him up and set him down only for him to find and start nibbling at Kara's toes. "Hey that tickles." She laughed. "Cut it out little man!"
"Would either of you like a glass of water?" Jess said as she came out of the kitchen, sitting down comfortably in the arm chair across from them.
"We're fine Jess, and thank you again for letting us come over tonight." Lena said as she smiled again at Kara, watching her crawl around with her new friends. They had been playing with their new furry friends for almost an hour now and Kara seemed content to stay indefinitely by the sheer joy radiating from her face. Lena smiled fondly at her as she continued to absently scratch behind Nala's ear.
Jess lifted her hand and smiled. "It was my pleasure, plus I'm secretly hoping they'll be so worn out after you leave that I'll get some peace and quiet around here for a few hours."
"Who said we are leaving? I'm seriously thinking of becoming a squatter for the first time in my life." Kara joked. "But seriously, If you need a puppy sitter just call me. I will literally drop everything I'm doing and be at your beck and call." Kara promised.
Jess raised her eyebrow and smiled at the bold offer and the look of consternation on Lena's face. "I think you need to amend that statement, before you get into a lover's quarrel." Jess said laughing.
Kara crawled over to Lena, carefully avoiding pups in the process and lightly kissed her nose, which Lena scrunched up upon contact. "You're exempt. You did introduce me to my new loves after all."
"Careful Kara, I don't like feeling jealous, and I've done my fair share of it over this last year. So you'd be wise to not provoke me." Lena warned.
Kara laughed lightheartedly and shook her head. "Duly noted."
Lena walked the final steps to Kara's door with leaden feet. She really didn't want the night to end. After working up the whole ordeal far too much in her head it was a relief to see that the night hadn't imploded on itself like she had anticipated. Minus the small matter of Kara's outfit getting ruined. Kara, however, seemed unaffected by the minor hiccup and Lena tried to let that fact trump any lingering fears.
"So…" Kara turned to face Lena and pointed her thumb at her door. "This is me." She smiled and Lena mimicked the smile as she ducked her head. "Yeah I guess so."
Kara shifted her weight between her feet, her hand came up to fiddle with the string of her hat that was currently hanging down behind her back. Neither one of them made an attempt to say goodbye and Lena took a small step forward into Kara's space. Her hand came up to Kara's waist as she thumbed over the multi-colored fabric of the t-shirt and looked up, her eyes falling to Kara's lips.
"I had a really nice time tonight." Kara whispered, her hand falling from the drawstring to cover Lena's.
"Me too." Lena whispered back. Her hands became bolder on Kara's waist as her head drifted closer. "I don't —" Their noses brushed lightly and Lena's heart swooped into her stomach when she felt a soft hand caress her face. "I don't want to say goodnight just yet." She confessed.
"Me either." Kara breathed.
She's not sure who closed the distance first, frankly she didn't care, all that she was able to think about in this moment was soft, warm demanding lips claiming her own.
"Penny."
"Wha-?" Kara breathed before Lena pushed her up against the door frame and kissed her boldly, parting her lips and relishing the moan elicited from deep within Kara's throat.
"I want to use my penny now." Lena said quickly before reattaching her lips to Kara's jaw as her hands pressed firmly into Kara's sides, her palms smoothing over rigid muscles.
Kara sucked in a breath and stared at her, her eyes darting between Lena's in a silent question. Lena took a step back quickly. "I'm sorry, not like, I didn't mean like–" Lena shook her head and worry etched over her features at having wrongly insinuated something she hadn't intended to. She sighed and took a step forward grabbing both of Kara's hands, "I meant, I want to use it for more time."
Kara smiled. "Time? That's what you want, nothing else?"
"I don't want anything else." Lena shrugged. "Just more time with you. Tonight, tomorrow, as much time as you're willing to give."
Kara shook her head. "Time." She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Lena's ear. "Ok."
Lena's eyes lit up "Yeah?"
"I mean it goes against everything the game stands for cause its not a tangible thing you're asking for, but then again no one's ever asked for 'time'." Kara chuckled. "So keep the penny. Use it on something else."
"There's literally nothing else I could want."
"Maybe right now, but hold onto it anyway." Kara pulled Lena into her chest. "Come inside?"
Lena smiled, "Sure." Lena followed Kara inside her apartment and couldn't help the swell of emotions that overwhelmed her. It wasn't the perfect date, there were flaws, awkward moments and even weirdly endearing quirks, but something slotted into place for her tonight and she wanted to savor the moment, because she realized with absolute certainty that she was looking at the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
"You ok?" Kara asked as she turned to find Lena still standing in the doorway.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm great."