CHAPTER ELEVEN: 'Awkward Family Dinners'
THE TWO SAT ON THE COUCH, wine glasses in their hands while they waited for Sam. Ruby popped in to say hi, before retreating back to her room to finish up on an assignment.
"What's your favourite colour?" Kara asked, swirling the wine glass.
"Blue." Lena responded with a small shrug.
"Favourite movie?"
"Schindler's List. Kara, why are you so curious about me?" Lena asked after fifteen minutes of the random 'let's play twenty one questions' ambush. (Halfway throughout the game, it was just Kara asking her questions.)
"I just, want to know more about you." It was true. Kara found that with each passing answer Lena provided, she wanted to know more. She wanted to know every inch of Lena's thoughts and memories, finding the girl all the more alluring. "What about your family? Do you have siblings?"
At that, Lena tensed and Kara noticed. The blonde immediately felt guilty, but before she could utter an apology, Lena stood up. "Sam's finished."
Kara furrowed her brows, and as if on cue, the woman of the household rounded the corner. "Hey, Kara!" The brunette smiled, with her arms outstretched for a hug.
"Sam." Kara breathed out, as she hugged her friend. She looked over her shoulder to see Lena now in the kitchen, bringing the dishes to the table.
"Ruby! Come out!" She shouted, "sorry, she's almost in her teens so, her room is my 'no go zone.' So, what's got you running into my arms?" Sam asked.
"Uh," Kara side glanced to the answer to the question, who was staring back at her with emerald eyes. "Boy problems." She lied, watching Lena's face remain stoic.
The vampire heard her heart skip a beat. She was lying.
"Not Mon El again." Sam groaned. "I could have sworn he was over you."
Kara laughed nervously, "apparently not. Hey, kiddo. How's the assignment holding up?" The girl asked Ruby, who emerged from her room.
"It's the worst." Ruby sighed.
"Tell me about it." Kara chuckled. "I kinda liked high school though." She said, as the three of them joined Lena at the table.
"Maybe, I can get Lena to do my assignment for me again." Ruby said cheekily, sitting next to her mother at the table.
Lena took a seat on Sam's right. "I don't think so, Rubes." The vampire said playfully, as Kara sat next to her.
"Thanks for cooking dinner, Lena." Sam said with a smile, squeezing Lena's hand. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the blonde.
"Anytime, Sam." Lena smiled.
"You made this?" Kara asked, "wow, I didn't know you cooked."
Lena shrugged, "all in a day's work."
"So, Mike. Did he ask you out again?" Ruby asked. Yes, Ruby was aware of Kara's love life. Part of the 'goss' the preteen now craves.
"N—no." Kara stuttered, "it's just, I don't know he's just there." The girl scooped some risotto in her mouth so she'd have an excuse for not talking.
"There?" Sam repeated Kara's choice of words, with an arched brow. "Like he's annoying by constantly being there?"
"I guess so." Kara said with her mouthful. "This is really good." She mumbled to Lena, giving her a thumbs up.
Lena couldn't help but chuckle. "Thank you, Kara. Perhaps you should avoid Mon El for a while." She added a piece of advice, she knew the girl didn't really need.
Kara swallowed her mouthful, "yeah, I—" The human sighed defeatedly, whilst fidgeting with her glasses. "I'm not here because of Mon El. He's a great friend."
Sam and Lena both looked confused, whereas Ruby looked a little bummed. "Well, why are you here?"
Kara eyes side glanced to the woman sitting next to her. "My sister." Okay, that was half the truth as to why she was here. "It doesn't matter, it can wait. Enough about me." The girl chuckled, waving her hand about. "Ruby, how was school?" She addressed the girl sitting across from her.
Sam and Lena shared a look, before letting the topic go and continued with their meal.
Conclusively, dinner went surprisingly well between the four. Ruby left the table early, leaving the three woman to chat. Despite the tension earlier between Lena and Kara, it seemed to have dissipated.
It was different to have more than just Sam to converse with for Lena. Having simple company was heart warming for the vampire, to say the least. As pathetic as it sounds, but Lena felt she had actual friends for the first time in centuries. Even if it was only with two people.
"Well these dishes won't clean themselves." Sam said, standing up to gather the dishes.
"Oh, we'll help you." Kara said standing up as well, and Lena followed suit.
"Thank you, guys. This was really nice. We should do it again." Sam said contently.
"Of course! Whenever you want us over, we'll come by." Lena offered, as she knew her friend was usually too busy for social outings.
Sam reached for a dish when her sleeve rolled up.
"Sam, what happened?" Kara asked looking at her wrist. A fresh scar remained which resembled a bite mark branded her skin.
"Rubes and I went to a dog park the other day." Sam said, waving her arm around. "I guess they don't like it when you dangle a treat too high for their liking." She said sheepishly.
Kara let it go and Lena remained silent. "Let's clean." Sam said with enthusiasm.
They gathered in the kitchen, all of them assigned with different tasks.
Kara was washing the dishes.
Lena was drying them.
Sam was putting them away.
Small chit chat was made, as the night grew to an end, and the girls worked in comfortable silence.
"Oh crap, is it already eleven thirty?" Sam asked aloud, as she read the analog clock. "Shit, I totally spaced. I got to go see if Ruby's in bed and not on her phone. You guys okay finishing up?"
"Not at all."
"It's fine." Both girl's said at the same time. Sam thanked them once more, before giving Lena a small wink as she went down the hallway.
Kara cleared her throat. "So."
"So." Lena mimicked, towel in one hand and a glass in another.
"A—are you and Sam like… together?"
Lena stopped wiping the glass. She didn't know wether to laugh… or to laugh harder. With the silence given, Kara assumed that it was a yes.
"Oh."
Lena snorted, suddenly remembering how to talk. "Kara, why would you think that?" The raven haired girl started giggling, the sound making Kara's stomach flutter.
"Well, you guys are like a married couple." Kara said, waving the sponge around, until soap flew everywhere. "You cooking dinner, you helping Ruby with school work, the hand squeezing." Kara listed, as Lena listened with an amused smirk. "It's just— oh shit!"
Throughout Kara's rant, the third glass slipped through her soapy hands and shattered onto the tiled floor.
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, I'll clean this up." Kara said, washing her hands of soap and drying them on a towel.
"No, I got it." Lena dismissed, as she was already crouching down to pick up the pieces with her bare hands.
"Lena, stop you'll hurt yourself!" Kara chastised, as she bent down to pull Lena's hands away.
In doing so, the glass piece that was already Lena's hand had managed to pierce through the vampire's skin. Wide eyed at the sudden injury, Kara cursed herself. "Oh no, Lena I'm so sorry. I'll go get a—"
"Kara." Lena spoke sternly, her face neutral and stone cold as it was, when Kara brought up her family. "I'm fine." She said, as she stood up and Kara did the same.
"What? No, you're not. I saw the glass cut you, I—"
Lena exhaled slightly and showed her uninjured hand. "See?"
Kara narrowed her eyes at the girl's hand, before carefully cradling it in her own. And god, did Lena love the way Kara's warmth in her touch seemed to have travelled through every cell in her body. "H—how did you—"
"I didn't get cut Kara," Lena stated, "but are you alright?" She asked, a diversion tactic that she often used to get the attention off of herself.
Kara looked up at Lena, not realising how close they were standing to one another. Her hand still holding onto Lena's gently, as if it'll evaporate into thin air.
"I'm fine." Kara mumbled, her blue eyes searching green. She was so close to Lena that she noticed the small scar on her brow bone for the first time.
And as for Lena, she too, saw the scar adorning Kara's forehead. A flaw that the vampire couldn't help but love.
"What's going on?" Sam's voice quickly broke the two girls apart, Kara jumping slightly.
"Nothing." Both girls said in unison.
"I accidentally broke a glass." Kara admitted, her fingers twiddled with themselves.
"Right." Sam stated, crossing through the kitchen, her eyes remained on Lena as she walked past with a knowing smile. She opened a cupboard to reveal a broom. "Well, since I'm working tomorrow and I'm dead," Sam snorted at the vampire pun, (to which Lena internally groaned at) "Lena, can you clean this and lock up on the way out?"
Lena nodded, "get some rest, Sam."
"Thanks, well; goodnight, Kara."
"Night." The blonde waved awkwardly at the girl.
"Lena." Sam nodded, a smirk still playing at her lips.
Lena just rolled her eyes, as they watched Sam retreat back down the hallway.
"See? Totally a married couple." Kara laughed, and Lena chuckled with her.
"We're just best friends." Lena said, swallowing at the use of the teenage jargon of 'best' before the word 'friend.' (She was definitely spending too much time with Ruby) The air went silent for a moment, while the girls cleaned up their mess. It wasn't awkward, more so comforting and domestic.
After a few moments, Lena decided to break the silence. "I'm sorry."
Kara looked up at her, as she placed the last dish into its rightful cabinet. "What for?"
"For not opening up." Lena admitted, almost shyly like a school girl admitting her crush. Her ebony hair now cascading her face.
"Oh, Lena." Kara sighed, her guilt now crushing her. "I can never ask for you to tell me things you're not comfortable with sharing."
"I just thought that friends told each other everything. And well, you're my friend." Lena said, a naive notion, yes, but in it a lie and a truth. Not revealing herself to Kara stung, as she knew she was no better than Alex for lying to her.
Kara let out a small laugh, "I'm sorry for prying."
"It's okay. I have a reporter as a friend. What more could I expect?" Lena joked, lightening up the mood.
The two exited the kitchen, before they grabbed their coats by the door. "Honestly, I'm just really confused."
"About?" Lena asked, as she closed the door behind them, ensuring it was locked.
Kara huffed out a sigh. "My sister and… well, you."
"Me?" Lena asked, as they both strolled towards Kara's car; faces illuminated by the moon and streetlights.
"That's the reason I came to see Sam." The blonde admitted, "I was just so curious about you, I didn't know how to approach you so I thought, 'why not ask Lena's best friend?' And so I rocked up to her house, a bunch of questions in mind and then, you opened the door."
Lena listened to Kara ramble. "And you know what happened?" Kara didn't wait for Lena to answer. "Those questions were thrown out the window."
They've reached her car, and Kara turned to face the vampire with complete awe. "I don't know, something about you Lena, is just so," she tried to search for the right words.
"Enigmatic? Badass? Totally, drop dead gorgeous?" Lena suggested playfully, and Kara slapped her on the shoulder.
"I was going to say captivating."
"I'll take that." Lena settled on, as Kara unlocked her car and Lena opened the door for her. "Goodnight, Kara." Lena bid, as she closed the door. "Text me when you get home?" She asked, when Kara rolled her window down.
Kara nodded as she put on her seatbelt. "Goodnight, Lena." The girl smiled, and Lena stepped away from the car and watched it drive off into the distance. Headlights now out of sight, the vampire sped to a nearby bar and waited in the shadows of an alley for her next meal.
Finally reaching her building, Kara sighed in exhaustion as she walked out of the elevator.
"Uh, where have you been?" Winn asked from the fridge, as Kara opened her apartment door.
The blonde jumped at his voice. "Winn!" She exclaimed, before peering over his shoulder to find her sister, Maggie, Lucy, James and Mon El seated in her living room.
"You missed game night, Little Danvers." Maggie said, lifting a beer to her lips.
"Oh my gosh, guys I'm so sorry." Kara said, placing her bag and keys down on the kitchen counter. Alex just remained silent, waiting for an answer for her absence.
"It's okay, Kara." Lucy spoke up, as Kara sat on the couch too.
"Yeah, Alex invited us anyway and we watched Justice League. Hope you don't mind." James explained.
"No no, of course I don't mind!" Kara rushed out, hoping it'll compensate for her flaking on them.
"Guess what though, I smashed Winn in Battleship. Twice." Mon El said, proudly as Winn pulled a face at him.
"Ahh, I knew you had it in you, Mike." Kara congratulated.
"Where were you, anyway?" Alex asked, speaking up for the first time.
"I was with Sam and Ruby." Kara half lied. She almost felt dirty, sick for not telling the full truth lately. But she hasn't gotten anything from her sister so, she felt it justified her actions. "I had dinner there, Ruby wanted me to help with her assignment and I lost track of time."
Alex nodded slowly, before turning her attention back to the rest of the group. "We should go." She said, and the group nodded.
Kara stood there with no objection. It was quite late and she was exhausted from the long day she's had. "Next week guys, I'll be here." Kara promised, as she hugged each of her friends goodbye before they exited her apartment.
Alex stayed behind last, taking in her little sister. She sighed, before pulling her into a tight hug. "I hate fighting with you."
"Me too." Kara mumbled into her sister's shoulder.
"I promise, I'll tell you everything." Alex swore. Kara nodded, holding that her sister will stay true to her words. "You okay, kiddo?" Alex asked, pulling away and Kara nodded once more.
"Just tired." The younger sister responded. Alex nodded at the response and put on her leather jacket.
"Oh, before I forget. Peace offering." Alex handed her a small box of tea.
Kara raised a brow. "We should fight more often." She said cheekily, "thanks Alex." She read the flavour.
"Vervain?" Kara asked confused. "New flavour?"
"One of my favourites. Alright, I'm off. Goodnight, Kara."
"Night, Alex. Get home safely." Kara yawned, before closing the apartment door behind her sister.
Kara [12:02]: Home now :)
Lena [12:16]: Glad to hear. Sleep tight, Kara.
Kara [12:17]: Goodnight, Lena
Lena [12:17]: ❤