Hope all you Americans had a nice Turkey day. And the rest of you, happy Monday.

Kara downed her water in one go, while Lena sat there daintily sipping hers. She noticed that Kara seemed to do most things fast—walk, talk, drink. Even their lovemaking had been quick, though not unsatisfying.

On the contrary. While quick, there was a neediness and urgency behind it, and it was over so soon because it was that good. Lena wondered what it would have been like had they taken their time, savored every touch and sigh. She had a pretty good feeling it would have been even more amazing, and as she cast a sideways glance at Kara, she realized she was overwhelmingly interested in finding out.

That thought alone should have terrified her. Never in her life had she thought about the next time she would sleep with someone. Usually she couldn't stand to be in the same room with a person five minutes post-coitus, let alone want to go for round two. She normally couldn't wait to get home and shower so she could wash the feeling of another person off her skin. And then she didn't think of the woman again until she was hot and bothered and needing of release.

There was never talking before or after these encounters, Lena not liking the vulnerability she felt along with the intimacy. Spending the whole night with these women was something she simply never did. She didn't want to wake up next to them in the morning and risk the feelings that could leech themselves onto her if she allowed herself to abandon her life of solidarity.

Which was why this whole situation was all the more puzzling. She willingly offered to spend the night, breaking one of her own rules right off the bat. Then, the longer she lay there staring at a naked Kara, the more she wanted to climb on top of her and take her again. But as Lena finished her water, they just kept talking—and Lena enjoyed the conversation so much that she didn't want to interrupt.

Then Kara got out of bed to roll a joint and came back with that, an ashtray, and lighter in hand. She set the ashtray on the nightstand before putting the joint between her lips and lighting it. She pulled in a hit, the tip burning bright red as smoke started to float towards the ceiling. The blonde held in the hit as she handed the doobie to Lena.

She took it, inspecting it for a moment. It had a filter at the one end, and it was narrow near there, getting bigger at the top. It wasn't the most beautiful or best joint she'd ever seen, but it was sure as hell better than anything she'd ever rolled by hand. She was lazy and boujie and had bought a roller. But she could appreciate Kara's work.

And when she took a hit, she appreciated it even more. The smoke slid down her throat, and when she let out the cloud, she was happy that she didn't cough. "Damn, I missed weed," Lena said as she handed the j back to Kara.

"You know it's really easy to get, right?" Kara said with a small laugh. "This is California. There are dispensaries everywhere."

"I've never been to one. I used to know someone who grew his own, and he just brought it to me," Lena admitted. "I know there's technically nothing stopping me now that it's legal, but I'm kind of terrified there will be photos of me there that'll come out." She shrugged as Kara took her hit, then handed the joint back, taking it as she went on, "Then my mother will go apeshit, and I just don't want to deal with it."

"Why would she care?" Kara asked with a frown. "You're, what, twenty-six? You undoubtedly own your own place, so you're not under her roof. Not to mention marijuana is legal, and so many people do it."

"I'm not those other people, though," Lena said quietly. "She's worried about it ruining my image." She took her hit and handed the joint back, then ran a frustrated hand through my hair. "Everything with her is always about my image."

There was a bitterness in Lena's voice, and her features darkened ever so slightly. Obviously, the topic of her mother struck a chord with Lena. Kara didn't claim to know much about Lillian Luthor. She'd had a sub-par film career, her greatest achievements being that she married Lionel Luthor and was the mother to Lex and Lena. But the way Lena spoke about her made Kara silently seethe with hatred for the woman she'd never even met.

"Is—is she part of why you're not out?" Kara asked carefully, watching Lena's face for a reaction.

"She's the entire reason," Lena said, shoulders tensing. She glanced at the pride flag on the wall, chewing on her lip. "She insists it'll ruin my career."

"That's a load of crap!" Kara said, a little too passionately. She took in a breath to calm herself before going on, "Look at Ellen DeGeneres and Neil Patrick Harris. And Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Hayley Kiyoko. Not to mention Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe," she listed. "Sara and Ava are actually filming something in National City soon. It's that mystery movie written by Iris West, a lesbian screenwriter."

"Life Lessons," Lena said, looking back to Kara with a sad smile. "I auditioned for that. They chose Ava Sharpe over me."

"Oh," Kara said, surmising from the sadness evident on Lena's face that she wasn't pleased at all with being passed over for the part. "Well… They're dumb, then. You would have been amazing." She stamped out the rest of the joint in the ashtray and fit the stub into one of the prongs in the side before reaching over and taking one of Lena's hands in her own. "But on the bright side, if you'd done that movie, then we wouldn't have met."

Lena looked down to their hands, realizing the truth behind the words. And then the smallest twinge of fear started in her gut. "You're right," she said, looking back up to Kara, stomach knotting at how beautiful and earnest she looked. "But I'm afraid I've already made a mess of things."

Kara's brows knitted together in confusion, but she didn't take her hand from Lena's. "What do you mean?"

"You're out and proud. I'm not," Lena said simply, giving a small shrug. "Getting involved with me would mean somewhat forcing you back into a closet, and I don't want that for you. The closet is my burden to bear, and I won't ask you to carry it."

"I mean—" Kara paused, frowning, trying to gather her thoughts. "I see your point, I do. I will say, though, that I have dated women who were in the closet before."

Lena gazed at her. "And how did that go?"

Another frown. "Not well." Then she took her hand from Lena's, running it through her unruly blonde curls instead. "Once I went somewhere with this woman and her mother, and after the event her mom asked us if we met any guys. It was really awkward."

"See?" Lena quirked an eyebrow.

"That's not why it didn't work out, though," Kara said with a sigh. "She just kind of… Ghosted me."

"She's a bitch," Lena said instantly, causing the blonde to chuckle lightly.

"Thanks," she responded, a smile lingering on her lips. "But back to your hidden sexuality being your burden to bear alone… I think you're really wrong about that. And that's me speaking from experience." She shrugged, eyes firmly locked with Lena's. "The longer you carry something like that around, the more it weighs you down. Eventually you're going to need someone to help you or you'll be crushed."

"And you want to help me carry it?" Lena asked, eyeing Kara curiously.

"I wouldn't mind," Kara said honestly, the truth of her words hitting Lena hard in the chest and causing her to catch a breath. "The thing is, though, you can't carry it around forever. I—and anyone else—can only do so much. You have to decide to get out from under this weight on your own, to face coming out."

Lena was quiet for a moment before muttering, "I'm not sure that I'm ready to do that just yet."

"No one said you had to be," Kara said, her voice kind and soft. "Everyone gets there on their own time. I got there so soon because I had an amazing support system behind me. My friends and family have been so accepting and loving that coming out was relatively easy, even if it was scary at first."

"I envy you," Lena said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. While she was glad Kara had that nice experience, it was far from her own. "Lillian wanted to send me to conversion therapy, and I didn't even bother telling Lex after that. The one friend that I told was so scared I was going to start trying to seduce her that we stopped being friends shortly after, and I never got the courage to try again." She sighed, rested back on the pillows again with a small frown. "I think you're the first person I've actually said it to in nearly five years."

Kara's eyes went wide. "How are you managing?" she asked, shaking her head. "Doesn't that make, like, dating and stuff hard?"

"Not really," Lena said, then added. "But I don't really date. I've seen women in the past on a few occasions, but it was never anything serious. It never really can be when I can't go out on a real date with someone."

"How do you meet anyone, then?" Kara asked, then added, "Even if you're not dating them exclusively, I feel like coming out to each other is a huge part of the initial interactions of dating. How else would you know that they're open to dating women?"

"They usually find me," Lena said, pulling nervously at her fingers. "Women just come up to me and start flirting, I respond positively, and it goes from there."

Kara blinked at her in confusion for a few moments. "So, you're usually not the one who initiates things?"

Lena blushed, admitting, "No, I'm usually not."

"Well," Kara said, reaching out and taking Lena's hand again, stopping her nervous fidgeting. "I'm glad I was the exception."

Lena smiled at the gesture, only for a moment before dropping her gaze to their intertwined fingers. "I'm afraid you're going to expect too much from me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean—" Lena sighed, looking to Kara's face again, "I'm an absolute fucking mess. I'm heavily closeted, still somewhat self-loathing, and I don't even have close friends. I'm nowhere near capable of being able to handle any kind of real relationship. I'm the last person you should be setting your sights on, and I knew this when I seduced you, but of course you're just so fucking pretty, and I couldn't help myself." She growled slightly and pulled her hand away.

"Hey," Kara said in a quiet, calming voice. She reached out and rested her hand on Lena's knee, rubbing her thumb in small circles. "You didn't seduce me. I'm an adult, and I was perfectly aware of what I was doing the whole time. If anything, I seduced you."

Lena's jaw practically dropped. "How?"

"I mean, I invited you out for drinks, brought you to my house, and then gave you weed," Kara listed, and when she said it like that it did sound a little bad.

"I was a willing participant in all of that," Lena said quickly, shaking her head.

"Just like I willingly took you to my bed," Kara pointed out, raising her eyebrows. "There's a lot of shame society likes to put on us. They make us out to be predators so much that sometimes we put that on ourselves sometimes. It's not fair." She gave Lena's knee a gentle squeeze and smiled at her kindly. "We didn't do anything wrong. So, there's no reason for either of us to feel bad. Okay?"

Lena gave a half-smile. "I know you're right, but I still feel guilty."

"Lena, why?" Kara asked with a small groan.

"Because I can't offer you a loving, involved relationship," Lena responded, her stomach twisting unpleasantly as the words left her mouth. "I don't know how to do that. I've never done it before. I know I should have said so beforehand, and I apologize for my one-track mind—"

"Lena, it's fine," Kara said quickly, though quietly. "It's not like I stopped you to talk." The blonde let out a deep sigh. "In all honesty, I didn't expect any of this to happen at all. So, in regard to me expecting anything from you going forward… I'm not."

And she wasn't. Kara wasn't stupid. She knew her place in the world. She was a crew member, someone who served other people. People like Lena—the rich and famous. It would have been naïve of her to think there would be any place for her in Lena's world.

Yet she would have been lying if she said it didn't devastate her to admit. Sure, she knew she didn't belong with someone like Lena Luthor. But Kara was a dreamer. She always had been. Something in her always wanted to believe in the impossible, that she could do great things. Wanting to write and sell her own novels and adapt her own screenplays was ambitious to say the least, and somewhere deep down inside she knew accomplishing that goal was a long shot. However, she still held onto the hope that she could beat the odds and make it happen.

Just like even though she knew this little tryst with Lena most likely wouldn't lead to some big, fairytale romance, there was still a part of her that wanted that. Despite the fact that she knew it was illogical and even laughable to think that Lena could want her for more than just a few hours, she still felt her heart sinking as reality set in.

"You're not?" Lena asked slowly, eyeing Kara carefully.

The blonde tried her best to keep her face neutral. "No." She shook her head. "I didn't think you'd want to date someone like me."

Lena sat up at that, taking Kara's hand that was on her knee and holding onto it. "Kara, this isn't about you. I actually really like you. This is all me. I'm just not a good partner, and I know I wouldn't be good to you." She looked into those blue eyes, unblinking. "You deserve someone who is going to be able to really, truly be with you. Someone you can take on dates and be obnoxiously cute with on social media. That's not me."

Kara thought about that for a moment, chewing her lip. She had to admit, all the things Lena was talking about were things Kara wanted. She had always wanted the loving, happy relationships all her friends had. She wanted the woman she could go out with, the woman she could kiss any time she wanted, the woman she could see herself one day coming home to.

She'd dated in the past, but she'd never gotten to that point with anyone. It wasn't that she was against relationships. It was just that every one she tried to enter into seemed to self-implode before it even really gathered momentum, as if some supernatural force saw her getting too close to being happy and decided to throw an explosive into her life.

And now it seemed that knowingly trying to pursue Lena after she blatantly expressed she couldn't give Kara what she wanted was as stupid as pulling the pin on a grenade and throwing it at her own feet—calibrated self-destruction.

"I hear you," Kara said finally, giving Lena a small smile. "Loud and clear." She sighed softly, glancing down at their still intertwined hands. "So, this probably shouldn't happen again after tonight, then?"

Lena's heart dropped to her stomach as Kara's words settled over her, but she nodded weakly. "Probably not."

Kara nodded as well, trying hard not to frown as she felt a hollowness in her chest. She swallowed thickly and shoved it down, taking in a shaky breath. "Well then maybe we should make the most of it?"

Lena's green eyes widened questioningly, and she quirked and eyebrow and asked, "Meaning?"

"Meaning—" Kara paused to tug on Lena's hand, and her other went to Lena's waist and gently pulled her closer. Lena took the hint and moved so that she was straddling Kara's hips, arms instantly draping over her shoulders. Kara leaned forward and nuzzled her nose close to Lena's, muttering against her lips, "If this is the last time we're together like this, I want to properly say goodbye." She pulled back ever so slightly to look into Lena's eyes questioningly. "If that's alright."

And Lena, who never claimed to have much will power to begin with, simply muttered a quiet, "Yes," before pressing her lips to Kara's.

Lena woke up the next morning slightly disoriented. At first she wasn't sure where she was since the room was so dark, but she knew she wasn't in her penthouse or her massive bed. This bed was much smaller, the sheets felt different, and the pillows smelled of an unfamiliar lavender shampoo.

Then it all came back to her, and she sat up as she realized where she was, and the fact that her host wasn't next to her. She groggily reached over and switched on the lamp on Kara's side of the bed, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. Yawning, she climbed out of bed and located her top and underwear on the floor from the night before and shimmied into them before padding out of Kara's room.

She heard a faint sizzling sound and smelled the undeniable scent of bacon and followed them down the hall to the back of the house, entering into a kitchen. It had dark counters with marble tops, all-black appliances, a pantry off along one wall, and a small set of table and chairs tucked into one corner.

Kara stood at the stove, clad in a fresh pair of boxer-briefs—these a royal blue—and an old Demi Lovato t-shirt. Her hair was down and wavy, falling over her shoulders in ringlets. How did she manage to be so beautiful, even just out of bed? Lena hadn't even looked in the mirror, but she was sure she looked like a gremlin.

Kara looked up from the pans of bacon and eggs she was cooking and smiled when she saw Lena standing there. "Good morning," she said brightly. "Coffee?" She pointed to the pot, still underneath the percolator. It looked like a good bit was already missing.

"Please." Lena yawned as she stepped further into the kitchen, crossing her arms over her chest self-consciously.

Kara put down the spatula to reach into one of the cabinets and grab a mug, then handed it to Lena. "You take it hot, right?"

Lena smiled a little as she took the mug. "I do."

"Help yourself," Kara said, returning the smile as she turned her attention back to the food.

Lena poured herself a serving, nearly finishing the pot. She noticed Kara had a glass instead of a mug that held coffee, appearing to have been lightened with milk or creamer, and Kara had added ice to it.

"This will be ready in just a second," Kara said over her shoulder.

Lena nodded as she took a sip of her coffee, shuddering pleasantly as it hit her tired soul. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Uh." Kara frowned as she thought about it for a second. "There's a loaf of bread in the pantry, if you want to put some in the toaster."

"Sure," Lena said, happy to make herself useful.

She set her coffee on the counter then went into the cabinet and found the bread on the top shelf. Then she put a couple slices in the toaster like Kara asked, just as Kara was turning off the flame under the eggs. She got two plates down from a cabinet and split them evenly between the two, then did the same with the bacon. Then she got the butter from the fridge and offered the tub to Lena, along with a knife.

Lena buttered her toast to eat separately, while Kara buttered hers then made a breakfast sandwich out of the bacon and eggs. Lena had to admit it was kind of smart—also it eliminated the need for utensils. As she pushed around her eggs with her fork Kara chomped happily on her sandwich, finishing much quicker than Lena, of course. So quickly that she gave herself the hiccups and had to take big gulps of her iced coffee to dissipate them.

When Lena was done, she set her fork on her plate and leaned back in her chair, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Either you're really good at cooking eggs, or I was starving, because that was great."

Kara laughed a little. "I think maybe you were just really hungry."

"Probably." Lena smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Honestly, sometimes when filming I get so caught up that I forget to eat throughout the day."

"I know where you can get some snacks," Kara said jokingly, giving a smile. "But I understand. People think since I'm around snacks all day that I'm eating them, but I really don't have time. Not to mention after a while none of it seems appetizing anymore."

"I can imagine," Lena said with a smile right back.

Kara stared at her for a moment, biting on her bottom lip for a moment before ducking her head. "Guess I better clean this up so I can get you home," she muttered.

That statement seemed to bring Lena back to reality, the reminder that their night was officially over, and she would have to go back to her life, back to her lonely penthouse across the city. The thought was so unappealing that Lena wanted to protest, to go against everything in her nature and ask for more time—just one more day, night with Kara. But doing so would be selfish, and she'd already given in too much, broken too many of her own rules.

"I'll help you," she offered instead.

They cleaned up in relative silence, and then they went to get dressed. Kara offered to let Lena borrow clean clothes, but Lena turned her down because she didn't have any idea how she'd get them back to her. So, she dressed herself back in her outfit from the previous night, while Kara simply put a bra on and replaced her shirt, then pulled on a pair of her usual basketball shorts and some of flip flops.

She gave Lena a new toothbrush she found in her cabinet that she'd gotten on her last dentist visit, and once their teeth were brushed, they were ready to head out the door. Or so Lena thought. That was until Kara stopped to put in a pair of contacts. Lena stared at her in amazement as she put in the first.

"I didn't know you wore contacts," she commented.

"That's the idea of contacts. To not know they're there," Kara said with a slight laugh, putting the left contact on the tip of her finger so she could put it in, too.

"I didn't see you take them off last night, though," Lena said, her face going red. "And you didn't put on glasses at any point."

"I took them out when I went to the bathroom before we went to sleep," Kara said with a shrug then titled her head back and dropped the contact into her eye. "I'm near-sighted, so I mostly just need them to drive."

"Oh," Lena said, slightly disappointed she didn't have the advantage of seeing Kara in glasses. She had a feeling they would make her even more appealing. There was something about the sophisticated look of glasses that sometimes drove Lena wild.

Kara just smiled at her. "Let's get you home."

The blonde grabbed her wallet from her fanny pack and put it in her pocket before grabbing her keys off the coffee table. Lena picked up her clutch containing her phone and keys from the couch and they were ready to set off, a heaviness in the brunette's chest at the thought of leaving the roughly twelve hours of bliss she'd experienced. She wasn't ready to let that go just yet.

"Wait," Lena said as Kara's hand went to the door, stopping the other woman in her tracks. She stepped closer to Kara, lifted her hands shakily and cupped her cheeks. "I want to keep you just a little while longer."

Kara melted into her touch, hands going to Lena's curvy waist and pulling her in closer. "I'm yours, then." She leaned in slightly, her lips close to Lena's as she whispered, "For as long as you want."

Then she kissed her, soft, slow, and tenderly, and Lena leaned into Kara's body for support as her hands moved from her face to her hair, tangling her fingers in golden threads. It was different than their kisses the night before, which had been mostly hot, heavy, and fervent. This was deep and passionate in its own right, yet not rushed in an attempt to prolong the moment.

When they finally pulled away, both breathing heavily and eyes slightly darker, Kara simply gave a melancholy smile before placing a final kiss to Lena's forehead. Then they untangled themselves and set out into the morning sun.

Kara played music as she drove Lena across the city back to her building. It was the only sound filling the car other than the soft purr of the motor or the tires rolling along the city streets. For a while at least. Until they started to get close and Kara started fidgeting in her seat, obviously antsy.

"This isn't going to make things weird between us on set, right?" she asked, casting a worried glance at Lena. "I mean it doesn't have to."

Lena's pulse raced, but she gave her a reassuring smile. "No, Kara. Don't worry."

"Okay, good," the blonde said, tension easing in her shoulders somewhat. "Because I do genuinely think you're a cool person, and I enjoy talking to you. I would hate for you to start avoiding crafty because of me or something."

"I won't," Lena said quickly, even if she wasn't certain how true that was. She wasn't sure if she could be around Kara for a prolonged period of time now without wanting to pull her off somewhere and shove her hand between her thighs. "I promise."

Kara let out a breath she seemed to have been holding. "Okay, good."

They were silent again until Lena's building came into sight, and Lena instructed Kara to drive into a gated parking garage. She took her key card from her clutch and handed it to Kara, who scanned it, and then the gate opened, allowing Kara to pull into the parking structure.

She pulled around to the back, where there were doors leading into a hallway that would take Lena to the lobby. This was the reason Lena had her pull into the garage instead of dropping her off around front where she'd picked her up. Out front there was no cover. Paparazzies could snap picture after picture of Kara dropping her off the morning after picking her up, wearing the same outfit as the night before. The garage offered more privacy and for Lena to have a final moment with Kara before leaving her and their wonderful night behind.

"Thanks for the ride," Lena said lamely as Kara put the car in park.

But Kara just smiled at her again. "No problem."

Lena returned it weakly, hesitating a moment more to say, "I had a lovely time with you."

"Me too," came Kara's reply in a small voice.

Lena bit her lip briefly before leaning over the console and placing a quick kiss on Kara's cheek. "I'm sorry I'm not able to offer you more," she said as she pulled away, glancing at her feet shyly. "I hope we can at least be friends."

Kara's heart squeezed painfully as the lines from that one Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes rang in her head about friends not knowing the way you taste. But she just nodded and said, "Yeah, for sure."

"Great," Lena said, though she felt anything but great. She felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart—and the worst part was that she wasn't sure if she'd done it to herself or handed Kara the knife in order to do it to her. Either way, it hurt all the same. "Well, I guess I'll see you Monday."

"Yeah, see you Monday," Kara responded, gripping the steering wheel again, a little too tightly. "Have a good rest of your weekend."

"You, too, Kara." And with all the strength she had left, Lena finally opened the door and got out of the car. But before closing the door she ducked her head inside one final time and said, "Bye."

"Goodbye, Lena," the blonde said in a low voice.

When Lena walked inside, she willed herself not to look back through the glass doors to see if Kara was watching her walk away. But after only a foot she lost her nerve and turned to see, to her disappointment, that Kara was already gone.

If the CW doesn't make Supercorp process their feelings for each other, why should I?

Just kidding. They'll get there. Give them time.