Summary: Lena wants to spend her birthday with her best friend. What that turns into was never part of Lena's plan.
A/N: A few of them…
1. Sorry this is late! I didn't plan to write it until yesterday (10/29/23).
2. I'm aware The Fall of the House Of Usher wasn't released in 2016 but I'm obsessed with the show.
3. This might be my last SuperCorp fic for a while until I can find a legal (or password sharing) way to stream SG. Netflix keeps raising their prices and canceling everything. Sorry, guys!
The Best Birthday Ever
This is insane. I shouldn't just show up to Kara's and see if she wants to spend the day with me, driving around aimlessly with the top down, finding a few hole-in-the-wall places. She's always said that if I needed to, or wanted to, stop by that I'm more than welcome.
Before my resolve wavered, I pulled into a parking spot and made my way to the reporter's door. Taking off my sunglasses, I slid an earpiece into my belt. Knocking, I waited. I hope I didn't underdress too much. Jeans and a nice sleeveless shirt. No one in National City has seen me in something like this. Kara has seen me in my lounge clothes before. She won't care.
Confusion washed over me when an older woman answered the door. "I recognize you," she smiled. "You're Lena Luthor."
"I am, yes." She looks so familiar. My eyes flashed across the room behind her. This is definitely Kara's apartment. I can see my appointed blanket on the couch.
"I'm Eliza, Alex's and Kara's mother. Please, come in." Stepping to the side, the older woman allowed me entrance.
That's where I recognize her from! The photo albums and pictures on Kara's desk and around her apartment. "Thank you," I smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Danvers. Kara's told me so many stories."
"You as well. Between everything Kara has told me, what's been in the papers, and your TED Talks, I feel like I already know you."
Kara talks about me to her mother? "I hope all was good."
"It was," Eliza chuckled. "I almost feel like I have three daughters instead of two." Warmth filled my chest at Eliza's words.
"Mom, who are you talking to-oh God. Lena, hi!" The agent's voice pitched upwards with each word.
"Hi." Crossing my arms, I studied the brunette. "What was that reaction for?"
"I…um…" Alex stammered, pulling out her phone to text someone.
"I hope you can make it to Thanksgiving this year." Eliza made her way towards the kitchen. "Can I get you something to eat or drink?"
"No, thank you though." She's definitely the woman who raised Kara. That woman always offers me something to eat or drink the second I walk in. "Kara invited me but I may have to work." I feel bad for lying.
"Well, I'm also inviting you this year." Eliza smiled warmly. "Hopefully you can make it."
"If you're coming, then I'll do my best. What brings you to town? I thought Kara said you flew in next weekend."
"We wanted to see Mom longer!" Alex blurted, wrapping an arm around her mother's shoulders. "This woman makes the best BBQ wings ever." Hearing a frantic knock, Alex went to answer the door.
Walking in, Kara held a paper grocery bag in each arm. "Heeeyyy, guys. What's up?" Eyes grew when the blonde saw me. She tried to speak but nothing came out.
"Kara?" Becoming self conscious, I looked over my outfit. "I dressed down because it's my day off and I thought it would only be us."
"I think you broke her brain," Alex smirked.
"Alexandra," Eliza warned.
Before Kara could respond, there was another knock at the door. "I'll get it." Alex moved quickly across the apartment. "Pretty sure I know who it is."
"You look really good in green," Kara smiled sheepishly. Tearing her eyes away, a light pink tinted the reporter's cheeks. "S-Sorry for staring." She murmured, placing the bags on the counter.
"No harm done." I don't mind when you stare. It makes me feel wanted.
The blood drained from Kara's face when she saw who was at the door. "Mrs. Danvers, it's nice to see you again." Mike, from Kara's office, walked in with a large bouquet of flowers. "These are for you." He smiled, kissing Kara's cheek. A shot of jealousy made its way through me.
"Reel it in a little." Taking the flowers, Kara placed them on the table. "Thank you. They're lovely."
"Too much?" He frowned, disappointed in himself.
"For American society, yes. You normally only kiss certain people who you find special or some family members if they do cheek kisses."
"Oh," he paused. "But I've never seen you kiss-,"
"That's enough!" Alex cupped her hand over Mike's mouth. "Let's go start today's lesson. Normally, what I'm doing would be considered rude but I'm saving your ass."
Kara's cheeks burnt. "I, um, back to the previous conversation." She cleared her throat. "I was going to call you later and see if I could take you to dinner for your birthday."
Something just clicked for Eliza. I wonder what it was. And what Mike was going to say. "That's actually why I'm here. I wanted to steal you away for the day. Explore some of those hole-in-the-wall shops and cafes you told me about. I brought the camaro so we could put the top down."
"That sounds great," Kara smiled. Glancing at the groceries, she bit her lip. "I was actually going to bake you a birthday cake," she paused. "I've gotten better at baking, I swear!"
I would eat it either way. "We can get together another-,"
"Absolutely not." Eliza spoke. "You must stay. I can bake the cake while the two of you go out."
"I wouldn't want to intrude on your family time. I know Alex and Kara don't get to see you often."
"You make Kara happy and I'll be here for a week. After you girls get back, we can have cake. I hope you have a good birthday, Lena."
"Thank you, Eliza."Kara is pale as a sheet. There has to be something behind that. "Shall we?"
"Sssure." Turning her attention towards Eliza, Kara questioned. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Go before I shove the two of you out the door. I can spend the day with Alex and Mike and steal you another day."
Lacing my arm through Kara's, I laughed. "I'm not a fan of being shoved so let's listen to your mother."
"We better," she agreed.
Exiting the building, the taller woman gasped. "Wow!" Kara breathed. "No matter how many times I see this car, I'll always react the same way."
"That's why I drove it today," I smiled. "Riding with the top down, blasting the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, and spending the day with you sounds like the best birthday I've ever had." Getting buckled, I pulled my hair back into a tight bun.
Kara did the same. "Sounds perfect."
Reviving the engine, I grinned. "Ready?"
"Always,"
As we drove, both of us sang until we were out of the city. "Your mom invited me to Thanksgiving. I lied and said you already invited me but I may have to work. I hope that's okay."
"I was going to invite you in the next few days once we had more concrete plans." Kara paused. "I hope you can come."
The words came before I could stop them. "I'll be there."
Entering the small town, we found a spot on mainstreet to park. "Look at all the Halloween decorations!" Kara looked around in amazement.
"I love it." My chest filled with excitement seeing each storefront decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, and tombstones. "Will Mike be there?"
"It's really not what you think." My brow rose as we made our way past a furniture store. "He's not interested in me and I'm not interested in him. I shut that down real quick." She's making it a point to tell me there's nothing between them. "At first, after he woke up, he was interested in me. Mainly because of how he was taught to treat women on Daxam. Once we explained that's not how it goes here, he's been better at respecting women."
"So he's an alien too? Oh, look!" I pointed at a dog walker who came towards us. Each of the three dogs had a different costume on.
"Aww! Yes. Daxam was a sister planet to Krypton. It was destroyed as a result of Krypton's destruction." Sighing, Kara continued. "I'm glad you know the truth."
I couldn't help but laugh remembering the day I showed Kara the alien detection device. "That was an interesting interview."
My stomach dropped when the pad on my device flashed red. Taking a step back, the blonde held her hands up in surrender. "M-Miss Luthor, I-I can explain. Please, don't press the silent alarm under your desk. Let me explain. Please."
"Thirty seconds. Who are you?"
"Kara Zor-El. Yes, I'm related to Kal-El. He's my cousin."
"That makes you Supergirl," I paused. "That explains the bus comment." Placing the detector on my desk, I sat. "You can put your hands down."
"Thank you."
"Take a seat." I motioned to a guest chair.
Sitting, the reporter eyed me. "Eventually, if we became friends, I was going to tell you. Especially after what you said the last time I was here."
"I appreciate it. A Luthor and A Super working together can do some good for the world."
"I know."
"Thankfully, you took a chance on me." Kara smiled, bumping my shoulder gently. "I never asked, what made you trust me?"
The awe struck gaze when we first met, how much you wanted to believe in a good Luthor, and the openness when we were alone. There was something about you that I didn't want to lose. "The look in your eyes. Something told me that you could be trusted."
"And now look at us." Kara's attention was drawn to a small shop a few doors away. "Oh, a bookstore. Let's go!" Taking my hand, she pulled me along and into the brick building. I hated when she let go of my hand.
As we entered, the smell of coffee and old paper filled my nose. Heaven on Earth. The owners used every inch of wall space for tall shelves and shorter ones for isles. Small tables had newer releases laid out on display. A coffee cart was set up by small chairs and couches for people to relax and enjoy a book and a coffee. I'd love to sit and read with Kara snuggled beside me on one of the couches.
"Coffee or books first?" Kara asked.
"Coffee," I smiled.
Hours, and a few coffees, later, Kara and I made our way towards the register. "Did you find everything alright?" The redhead asked.
"And so much more," I laughed. Pulling out my card, Kara smirked. "What?"
"It's your birthday. Books are on me." Pulling out her wallet, the blonde slid her card across the counter. "She's going to try to argue. Please, don't let her win."
A wholesome laugh escaped the older woman. "I'll do my best."
"You bought our coffees. You also planned to bake me a cake and take me to dinner." Sighing, I gave in. "I know that look." She can be so stubborn sometimes. But that's one reason why I love her. Packing the books, the cashier smiled knowingly. My attention was drawn to a safe zone rainbow pin on her lanyard. My stomach flipped. She thinks we're a couple.
"Everything okay?" Kara asked, noticing the shift in my mood.
"I just realized we'll have to head home soon." That didn't help our case.
"Yeah. The sun will set soon."
"If you're looking for a good place for dinner, up the hill is a small Italian restaurant. The outdoor seating area has an amazing view of the sunset this time of year."
"Oh! That sounds fantastic!" Kara exclaimed. "I don't think Mom or Alex will mind if we're a bit late."
"It's a beautiful view," the woman added. "Perfect for a special occasion."
If only you knew. "I guess we're having pasta."
The cozy restaurant looked as if it was plucked from Italy and placed in California. The bookstore owner was right about the view. We were seated quickly and it didn't take long for the food to arrive. I will admit, the food here is amazing and the view is breathtaking. "Thank you, Kara. This has been an amazing birthday." My breath hitched seeing the sun's golden rays dancing across the Kryptonian's features. She's so beautiful. The only thing that could make today better would be to kiss her. Just once.
"You're welcome," Kara smiled. "I'm glad you dropped by. It wasn't what I planned but I wouldn't change a minute of it."
"Me either." I smiled, placing my hand on Kara's. "You really are the best."
"The sunset is beautiful here." Unconsciously, the older woman wrapped her index finger around my thumb. "We should come back here sometime. No one knows us. We can be whoever we want to be," she paused. "Even if it's only for a few hours."
She's got something on her mind. I wonder what it is. "We can come back. If they go all out for Halloween, I bet they do the same for Christmas."
"Maybe this can become our hideaway a few times a year? Once in the fall and once in the winter."
"Sounds perfect."
It was nearly eight when we arrived back at Kara's. Alex and Eliza had eaten and started a scary movie that was ending when we walked in. "Hey, you two," Eliza made her way towards the kitchen. "Did you have a good time?"
"We did," I smiled. An almost perfect day. "How was your day?"
"Good. After Mike left, Alex and I had a good day together." Taking the lid off of a platter, Eliza revealed a beautiful cake. The tan icing was the color of old parchment paper. In black cursive "once upon a midnight dreary" was written, in the center was a raven feather, and at the bottom "nevermore" was written in the same font. "Kara knew "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe is your favorite poem so she wanted your birthday cake to be themed after it. Especially because you've been so excited about that Netflix series."
Covering my mouth with my hand, I held off a sob. No one has ever put this much thought into my Birthday before. A hot tear rolled down my cheek as I studied the cake. "It's amazing." Wrapping the Super in a strong embrace, I nuzzled her shoulder. "Thank you," I sniffled.
"You're welcome." Kara's words replayed in my mind. You normally only kiss certain people who you find special. "Lena? Are you okay? Your heart rate is climbing."
Leaning back, I cupped the reporter's cheek. "I'm great. Thank you for today." Hearing the front door close, my stomach fluttered. They gave us privacy. They know. "There's only one thing that could make today perfect." I caressed Kara's cheek with my thumb.
"What's that?" Kara's voice cracked.
"Cuddling on the couch with you, watching The Fall of the House Of Usher, after…" My voice trailed.
"After what?" Blue eyes searched mine.
"After this." Stepping forward, I kissed Kara tenderly.
Smiling into the kiss, she hummed. "I must agree." Realizing what just happened, Kara squeaked. "You just kissed me."
"You kiss people who you find special," I smiled. "Really special."
"Really?" A deep blush covered Kara's cheeks.
"Maybe we can be the versions of ourselves we wanted to be earlier today," I offered cautiously. I hope she agrees. Please agree.
"You overheard the bookstore owner too?"
"No…" My brow creased.
"The owner thought we were a couple," Kara smiled sheepishly.
"That I gathered at checkout," I chuckled. Taking Kara's hand in mine, I smiled. "A horror series, cuddling with my girlfriend, and eating cake sounds like the perfect end to my birthday."
"Then that's what we'll do."
After getting cake, queuing up the show, and settling on the couch, I pulled the blonde close. "This has been the best birthday ever." Kissing Kara's temple, I pressed play.
