Enjoy!
As always thank you to my amazing Beta who is putting up with my constant tense changes...
Walking into the apartment later that evening Kara sighed heavily, mind numbed with exhaustion. She was Supergirl, the Maid of Might or whatever it was they called her here. And yet, Cat Grant could reduce her back to her first day, wet behind the ears, a stuttering assistant in a matter of facial expressions. Kara slumps on the large couch, she could do this, she thought with a hopeful nod. She has battled White Martians, time travelling Nazi's, and the end of the universe. She could handle being displaced in an unfamiliar reality. The faint click of laptop keys made her turn to the hallway. Frowning, Kara stood, walking to the source of the noise. She opened the door to Lena's stony glare over the screen of her laptop.
"Sorry," Kara immediately apologised. "I wasn't sure you'd be back this early."
"I don't exactly have anywhere else to go at 6pm on a Thursday now do I?" Lena asks rhetorically. "Especially now that I'm clockwatched by my assistant."
"Right, sorry," Kara apologises again with a tense smile. "I'll leave you alone."
Kara fled from the small office moving back into the living room, she spent the next hour getting caught up on her work emails. Adjusting to her rapidly changing life was hard, but Kara had done it before when she first came to Earth and she could do again now. Only this time was different, Kara thought, she didn't have Alex or Eliza to support her through it and to help her through the nightmares of the phantom zone, of the destruction of her home. Instead, she had Lena, who hated her for what she had done. Sighing and staring up at the ceiling, she was going to have to do something to ease the tension between them. A firm knock from the door pulled her from her thoughts, lowering her glasses she paled. Plastering a forced smile on her lips she opened the door.
"What are you guys doing here?" Kara asked, as she stared at Alex, Sam and Ruby.
"It's girls night," Ruby informed her brightly as she brushed past Kara. "Where's Lena?"
"Oh, I think she's just finishing some stuff up in her office," Kara calls to Ruby's retreating back accepting a hug from Alex. She blinks rapidly as the sudden closeness and the fluttering of different heartbeats coming from her sister. She glances down at the noise, her eyes widening in awe.
"I've already placed the order for pizza," Alex states, startling Kara, and stepping further into the apartment.
"How's Lena's head?" Sam asks as she hangs her jacket on the stand,
"Lena's head?" Kara asks, moving toward the kitchen.
"Yeah, she said she hit it and got a concussion."
"Oh right," Kara shrugs off. "It's getting better, I guess," Kara lies with a smile. She catches Alex's eye as she moves to join Kara in the kitchen, attuned to how terribly awkward Kara could be when it comes to lying. The older Danvers gives her a small smile of encouragement making Kara feel empowered enough to get through the evening.
"So I scored the winning goal, making a cool manoeuvre around Patty Johnson, at my soccer game this week, I think Mom got a video. Did she show you?" Ruby's voice filters through drawing closer as they pass through the apartment.
Kara can hear Lena's melodic laughter filling her ears as they stepped into the room, "What happened?" Lena asks, excitedly.
"I got the ball at the centre line before moving up the pitch and sending it back to Marie, who set me up for an awesome header in!" Ruby explains enthusiastically, her hands gesturing wildly making Lena lean back in surprise.
She sat with Ruby on the couch, Ruby explaining the strategies of the game, with infectious excitement. Kara was mesmerized, a nudge from Alex pulling her out of her trance.
"This is the part where you would get wine," Alex whispered.
"Right! Yes," Kara nodded, moving to search through the kitchen. She sourced a bottle of red and white wine suddenly struggling to remember which one Sam drank. It had been so long since they had seen each other. She was thankful when Alex moved to help, before being glared at after pulling out four wine glasses, but replacing one with a tumbler similar to Ruby's. Kara gives a small apologetic smile.
"Hey, Kara was it cool teaming up with The Flash the other day?" Ruby asked, causing Kara and Lena to freeze up in surprise. "You guys look so awesome taking care of those bad guys."
"Yeah, it is super cool when there's a pair up, I mean double the power right?" Kara enthuses lamely. Lena refrains from rolling her eyes as Kara hands the raven haired woman her glass. Kara sits on the floor beside Lena conscious of the space between them while Alex sits across from her with Sam. Ruby bumps shoulders with Kara playfully making Kara grin and shift, her shoulder brushing against Lena's knees.
"Kara said you were feeling better," Sam states, eyeing Lena thoughtfully.
"Yeah, so much better. Almost back to normal," Lena waves off smoothly causing Kara to clench her jaw in irritation at how easy it came to Lena. Sam smirked.
"Good, no more sex accidents," Kara inhaled what wine was in her glass at Sam's joke. Coughing and spluttering she excuses herself.
"I'll be right back," Lena said, as she follows Kara into the bathroom down the hall.
"You better be, We don't want to listen to you getting it on," Sam calls, Lena glares at her friend over her shoulder as she slips into the bathroom behind Kara.
"What was that?" Lena hissed rounding on Kara.
"I just don't like talking about-"
"We're supposed to be married, Kara, and apparently have a colourful sex life," Lena said looking only slightly flustered by the admission.
"Lena," Kara chokes back.
"Anyway" Lena continues, "Sam is your sister in law. You're going to have to get used to this," Lena scolds her.
"How are you so calm?" Kara asks, shaking her head
"Because I fully intend on getting pleasantly drunk in hopes they will leave as soon as possible. Maybe if we are sickly sweet it will cause Alex to bolt," Lena shrugs, dismissively. Kara simply rolls her eyes as she turns to the sink washing her face.
"I don't know Lena" Kara muttered suddenly, feeling in over her head.
"Oh please, you can't just sit on the couch, eat potstickers and make idle conversation?" Lena's tone is laced in sarcasm.
"This better work," Kara warns quietly following her from the room. Walking into the hallway, Kara jumps as Lena slides her hand into Kara's.
"Come on, darling, I can get the stain out later," Lena jokes loudly, leaning into Kara slightly. Neither missed Alex's eyes narrowing at the display of affection or the roll of Sam's eyes at the term of endearment.
"Let's play monopoly," Ruby states obliviously. Lena sits on the couch begrudgingly pulling Kara with her, who sits stiffly beside her, their hands clasped in Lena's lap as Ruby begins setting up the game board. Kara slips to the floor pulling Lena with her. They share a passing glance, Lena's bordering on a glare.
"Maybe this isn't the best game," Kara murmurs thinking back to the last time they played, remembering how Alex had flipped the table in anger at Brainy. Lena nods also knowing that Monopoly was a long game that took hours and she did not want to have to pretend to be in love with Kara for such an extended amount of time.
"You just don't want to lose," Alex teased, pointing a finger at Lena.
"Please, I run one of the biggest tech firms in the country, I can handle a little game of real estate," Lena says flippantly, smirking as Sam smiles at the two of them.
"I'm going to beat you all," Sam states confidently rolling her shoulders.
"I'd like to remind you I am your boss and a Luthor" Lena summarises with a wicked grin.
"Do we need to revisit poker night?" Alex states with a raised eyebrow and Sam simply chuckles, a small frown dancing between her eyebrows as Lena simply smiles. Lena has no idea what happened on poker night although she can hasten a guess it was not good.
"I'm the boot," Ruby announced once the game is set up. "Mom is the banker," while Sam stuck her tongue out at Kara and Lena in triumph.
Taking their respective pieces they begin to play. It quickly becomes clear to Kara that Lena is aiming to get through the game as quickly as possible. Buying up as many of the properties as she could. Kara decides it is an excellent idea and adopts a similar strategy. After three turns in jail, however, Kara and Lena were beginning to think that fate was deliberately setting them up to fail. Twice Lena had accused Sam of dipping into the bank, her competitive side rearing its head, and Kara could only laugh.
"So, did you see that Winn had that date with the Mandohorn?" Alex asks Kara with a smirk as she holds out a hand to Lena who begrudgingly hands over the cash for landing on Alex's hotel. Kara frowns, what the heck was a Mandohorn?
"Mando-" Lena kicks her subtly. "I mean no, no I didn't," Kara admits.
"He said that he'd never run from a date but man, he ran from this one, " Sam and Ruby both laugh at the story, with Lena and Kara joining, doing their best to hide their confusion. Alex sends Kara a small look of understanding who is shifting uncomfortably on the floor.
"I'll have Mayfair," Kara says to Sam smugly as Lena glares at her. Lena had been eyeing it up for a set since her first three turns.
"You couldn't just let me have this?" Lena sighs under her breath. Kara stiffens at the frustration in her voice.
"You know, I remember when you guys first got together and Kara was so nervous about your first date," Alex interjects pointedly, it makes Lena look up from her mortgage cards.
"Really?" Lena asks with a frown, her aggravation at Kara waning at this new information.
"She spent a week preparing for the evening," Alex smiles nudging Sam, at the old memory.
"Oh yeah, I remember, she was sickeningly gross because you had said you had never had a normal date," Sam adds with a teasing smirk.
"She took you to that arcade on fifth and then proceeded to break the shooter."
"Those are hard not to break," Kara found herself arguing.
"And then," Sam paused, thinking. "Didn't Lena threaten the hot dog guy?" She asks Alex who nods in agreement.
"I wouldn't have threatened him," Lena argues automatically in defence. Everyone made a noise of disagreement, but Lena rounded on Kara,
"Oh because you don't threaten people to get what you want?" Lena snaps unconsciously, missing Sam's frown at Lena's change in tone.
"Not over a hotdog," Kara scoffs.
"Well there was that one guy, at the county fair in tenth grade," Alex supplies, earning a glare from Kara and resulting in the room breaking into hysterics. It takes another three turns before the pizzas arrive and Kara is quickly inhaling it in starvation.
"Alright you bottomless pit, leave some for us mere mortals," Sam intercepts, prying the boxes from Kara's hands.
"Mere mortals don't consume as much as a ravenous Kryptonian," Alex teases.
"Honestly, how your grocery bill isn't through the roof is beyond me," Sam comments as she looks at Lena who simply shrugged, she didn't have the faintest idea when it came to living with Kara, let alone grocery bills.
"I know, Mom had to hide the chocolate in a lead lined pantry," Alex grins in triumph at Kara's eye roll.
"Can we get back to the game?" Kara asks. "I'm winning."
"You have $150 dollars left," Lena states, taking a slice from the box.
"But I have more properties than you," Kara points out, and Lena is propelled back six months ago to playing a different game in a different universe where Kara gave her the same smug look all while lying to her. Kara, noticing the change in Lena, looks away. Her lips pursed, guessing at what was wrong and her part in it. Knowing what is there and wanting to address it, but can't, not with Sam and Ruby here.
They continue for another hour until Kara calls bankruptcy and it's between Lena and Ruby, the familiar look of triumph forming on red lips as she sits back smugly drinking the red wine.
"I swear you cheated," Sam mutters accusingly.
"I'm a Luthor, I was born to win," Lena shrugs.
"Well you're a Luthor-Danvers now," Alex announces unconsciously making Lena choke on the red wine she's just inhaled at the new information. Kara gives her a forceful pat on the back as Lena scowls at her, trying to ignore the burning in her throat.
"You know, I never thought that would be a thing," Lena strains as she looks at Alex pointedly.
"Well, I don't think any of us did with the way you guys were after Kaznia," Alex added, "You didn't speak for months after Kara told you she was Supergirl."
"You guys hated each other" Sam chuckles into her wine glass. "Like really hated each other."
"I mean it only took Kara almost being killed by your brother to get you two to finally talk about it." Alex adds. Kara and Lena glance at one another confused, Kara didn't almost die fighting Lex, she survived with minimal injuries. Lena wanted to ask more, to ask about dates and life events, and get more general information about this alternate life. Anything to help her fit in.
"But you all lived happily ever after in the end," Ruby interrupts, grinning innocently up at them from the floor. Lena grits her teeth slightly at the lack of information. She would have to find out another way. Or avoid these ridiculous nights if possible. She stares in disbelief as Ruby slowly empties her savings, snatching away her victory.
"How?" Lena asks in disbelief as she looks over the board trying to think back at the game but can only recall her thirst for information.
"I learned business from the best," Ruby gloats with a grin,
"You better be careful Lena. Next L-Corp will be rebranded A-Corp," Sam jokes, as Alex shifts uncomfortably.
"Yeah well, if it's anything to go by with this one," Alex says pointing to her belly. "It will have Ruby's soccer talent." She says as she groans slightly in discomfort.
Kara's eyes widen slightly as she watches the baby kick out.
"It's not long now though," Sam says reassuringly rubbing her wife's back,
"Eight weeks and counting" Alex sighs, leaning into Sam's touch. As they call it quits on the game and Ruby tidies it away. Kara pales slightly, two months, it makes her think of her Alex, the one who isn't pregnant and desperately wanting a child. How could Kara leave knowing that things could have been different, had Sam not left and if Kara had just told Lena the truth so that her sister could have had everything she wanted.
"Alright, how about Pictionary or a movie?" Sam suggests.
"You know it's been a really long day," Kara stresses. "Maybe we should call it a night and pick up on Friday at game night?" Kara suggests with an overly enthusiastic grin.
"It's 8.30," Ruby deadpans,
"Yeah but Lena has a really early call with Japan and I have this review," Kara trails off her lies losing steam under the 13 years olds gaze.
"You have a meeting with Japan?" Sam asks curiously,
"Oh, it's just a formality" Lena smiles casually praying that Sam doesn't ask any more questions. Kara sends a pleading look to Alex who cuts Sam off before that can happen.
"You know, I could kinda use an early night," Alex admits with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah sure," Sam nods with a smile before turning back to Lena, "We can catch up tomorrow," She promises. Lena gives a small smile nodding, of course she would have to fix Kara's mess. Again. They all stand and Kara helps Alex to her feet.
"Hey, you guys go ahead, I just need a word with Kara, DEO stuff," Alex says as both the Arias' women slip through the door after a brief hug between them and Lena. Kara parts with a wave before Alex rounds on them.
"You two have got to get better at this," She states as soon as the door closes.
"It wasn't that bad," Kara protests with a shrug.
"It was a train wreck, Kara," Alex huffs. "Look, I don't know what went down exactly, but you guys were madly in love and I can guarantee you I'm going to to go out that door and Sam is going to ask if you two are fighting and I don't like lying to my wife."
"Shit," Lena hisses looking away,
"So, whatever this is?" She waves between the couple, "has to stop." Alex stresses as she holds her palm infront of her.
"We will work on it," Kara promises, silently hoping Lena will agree.
"I know you haven't been here long, but you have got to get up to speed," Alex urges and they both nod.
"We'll work on it," Lena affirms. Alex nods and Lena can't tell if she's more or less intimidated by a pregnant Alex. As soon as Alex hugs Kara goodbye and the door clicks behind the older Danvers, both Kara and Lena sag.
"So, how was your day?" Kara tries to ask but Lena is already walking from the room.
"I'm not in the mood to try right now, Kara" Lena sighs.
"You just stood here and promised we would," Kara calls to the slam of a door. A moment passes where she has the urge to follow Lena and confront her about how her attitude isn't making the situation better. Instead, she simply slumps on the couch pulling her laptop from her bag. Opening it, she pales as the emails begin piling in. How the hell was she supposed to be a content director, what even did that mean? She opened the web browser and began to search.
After an hour, she hears the faint pad of Lena's socked feet and refuses to even look at the CEO. She listens to Lena make tea as the faint aroma fills her nose, she hears Lena pause behind her.
"Why, are you googling how to be a content director?" Lena asks with her mouth half open in shock.
"Why do you care?" Kara snaps, sarcastically.
"Because aren't you a serious reporter, the content director seems like a fluff piece," Lena asks a little more gently, stepping closer to the Kryptonian.
"Well, because apparently that's my job now, on this earth," Kara huffs.
"You got promoted two tiers in three years?" Lena asks in disbelief.
"Apparently," Kara plainly states.
"Wow, who would have thought that Kara Danvers would be a pragmatic corporate ladder climber," Lena teases.
"Are you going to stand there and make fun of me or are you going to go hide back in your office?" Kara throws back in aggravation. Lena stands straighter and frowns before turning back down towards the hall. She gets halfway before turning to stare at Kara's back. As much as watching Kara struggle amuses her having to listen to the faint protests of the blonde antagonises her more.
Kara is startled as Lena sits beside her and pulls the laptop from the Kryptonian.
"What are you doing?" Kara asks sceptically.
"I'm hacking the HR records to see what's in your actual job description."
"Lena!" Kara protests.
"Do you want my help or not?" Lena snaps, impatiently.
"But why?" Kara asks in surprise. "I mean why are you helping me?"
"Because I don't want you fucking up my life any more than you already have," Lena mutters. Kara stays quiet as she watches Lena tap quickly over the keyboard. Her nose inhaling the sweet perfume Lena wears, her eyes drawn to the faint smudge of makeup left from where Lena had obviously taken it off earlier and the chipped nail polish from tinkering on her fingers as she types quickly and methodically across the keyboard.
"Would you really be nervous to take me out on a date?" Lena asks suddenly, her voice soft and unsure.
"Of course, you're- well you're you and how could I compare after how I've treated you?" Kara shrugs nervously,
"I'm really trying Kara," Lena admits quietly, pushing her hair behind her ear and Kara becomes mesmerized by Lena's beauty.
Eventually, a normal looking window appears.
"Here, that's everything you need to know," Lena states, shoving the laptop into Kara's hands, standing and startling Kara from her admiration. Kara quickly skims it before calling.
"Lena," Lena stops turning to look over her shoulder and into Kara's baby blue eyes. "Thank you."
"You're welcome" Lena nods before heading back to the office. They should get through this as quickly and painlessly as possible. Then once on their earth, they could go back to hating each other, Lena concludes as she sits back at her laptop showing the latest blueprints. She takes a deep breath before closing the program and seeing a new email pop up in the corner of her screen. She freezes knowing full well that it can't be possible until she clicks on it and chokes back a sob as she reads the signature.
See you soon,
Jack Sphere,
CEO of Spherical Industries.
As always let me know your thoughts, feelings down below without you all this story would probably not survive.
Until Next Week!