Chapter 5
The Morning After (That Nobody Knew Was a Morning After)
Alex woke up with a hang-over and an urge to kill Lex Luthor.
See, last night was supposed to be just their regular Game Night but Lex Luthor had the bright idea to raid his father's liquor cabinet. Alex would deny how easily she was roped in. So now, Alex has a major headache, a fuzzy mouth and a beeping alarm.
She takes one look at the numbers on the clock. Which immediately sobers her up. Shit. She's going to be late for her early hospital shift. Alex bolts from her bed, which was a very bad idea because now the headache feels like it's going to be her cause of the death. Nevertheless, Alex barrels through and gets herself to the shower. She still has 15 minutes before her ‘Medical Dreams’ gets crushed in front of her.
Alex dresses herself hurriedly and runs down to the kitchen to get her fill of caffeine. When she gets to the living room on her way to the kitchen she immediately lets out a string of expletives. The living room was a mess. They hadn't cleaned up last night. Eliza was going to kill them. There were empty chip bags littered on the floor and a dozen of empty bottles.
Alex glances at the clock. 10 minutes left. Screw it, she's just going to leave Kara a note and ask her to clean up.
Wait a second, where the hell was Kara anyway?
She remembers her sister stepping out when they had begun drinking just after Lena had left. But she doesn't remember her coming back or was she just too drunk to remember? Whatever, she was going to be late and Kara owes her a favor. So, Alex messily scribbles out a note and sticks it to the fridge and runs down the hallway. But immediately stops at her tracks.
That's odd.
There was a brown coat lying three steps away from the front door. It looked a tad bit too familiar. Wait.
Isn't that Lena's coat? But didn't Lena leave early last night? Alex was sure that Lena wore her coat before she left. How did that-
“Shit.” Her train of thought was cut off as she looks at the time on her phone and remembers she was going to be late. She grabs the coat from the floor, hangs it up and then runs out of the door.
2 Hours After The Morning After (the one at the lab with exploding chemicals and angry fake girlfriends)
"Good of you to show up." Jill deadpans at her without looking up from the microscope in front of her.
"Don't start." Lena retorts as she drops her bag at the table and grabs her lab coat and ties her hair in a tight ponytail. She hears Jill scoff, Lena meets Jack's eyes and there's a look. A look that says Lena was in trouble.
"The nerve of you to even say that to me," Jill says, still not looking at Lena, "Ten minutes." Jill deadpans and for a moment Lena is confused but then Jill continues.
"You don't answer Jack and then the moment you pick up you tell me you're showing up in ten minutes. And then ten minutes becomes twenty and then forty and then it becomes two hours. We waited for you all night! Where the fuck were you last night, Lena?"
Lena takes a deep breath. She cannot tell anybody where the fuck she was night and what the fuck she was doing. Lena decides the best way to get Jill off her back is if she swallows her pride, apologize, take Jill by surprise with her apology and effectively take the woman's mind off from wondering about Lena's whereabouts last night.
Lena sighs, "Look, Jill I'm sorry. I knew you needed me here. It was an asshole move of me to not show up. Something just came up with LuthorCorp and mother wanted me there. I apologize if I didn't tell you."
The apology works. It takes Jill by surprise, she tilts her head and then lets out a sigh, "Fine. I'm letting this one pass. But only because the breakthrough we made last night is more important to me than whatever the fuck your excuse is."
"Breakthrough?" Lena asks in awe, and then Jack is shoving her to look into the microscope and once Lena peers through, only one thought zips into her mind.
We're going to change the world.
"Jill?"
"Yeah?"
"We need to talk."
Phase 2: Operation Truth Serum
They were at M'gann's Bar tonight.
If Alex and Lex had noticed their sisters' new closeness after being distant for so long they pay it no mind. Well, to be frank the both of them looks too preoccupied with whatever they were up to. Kara had noticed that there's more whispering and conspiratorial looks between her sister and Lena's brother than usual. But she was in a good place with Lena and she really doesn't want to spend the whole night trying to figure out whatever it is that Alex and Lex were planning.
Kara casually slings an arm around Lena's shoulder and she can feel her unconsciously lean in to the touch. It sends warmth all throughout Kara. Lena was currently engaged in a discussion with Nia and Brainy regarding the reasoning between Han Solo's death.
"Oh, come on. It was entirely useless. I mean if they were going to kill Han, then they should've given Reylo a happy ending!" Nia points out.
"But there would be no intense dramatic build-up to Kylo's redemption if it weren't for Han's murder." Lena says, green eyes flashing and all Kara can think about is, God she is such a geek. A freaking adorable lovable geek.
"True. I have to side with Lena. It fueled the emotional dynamics further. Since Rey saw Han as her father figure in the brief amount of time they were together. And for her to see Ben? His son, kill him? It kind of established this more definite line between Rey and Ben." Brainy states, hands animatedly waving around.
"But can we all agree that the original trilogy was the best though?" Nia says and Lena raises her glass, "Well, I'll toast to that."
And Kara laughs as the three of them toasts to, "May the Force be with You."
"All of you are dorks, it's disgusting. Why are we even sitting here?" Alex says, once Lex and her had finally turned back into the conversation.
Lena snorts, "You tell us we're dorks, when you and my brother here," she tilts her head to Lex's direction in that adorable way that has Kara melting, "-literally refer to your hang-out spot as ‘The Lair’." Lena uses air-quotes and snorts, "Sure, we're the dorks and you're the 'Cool Kids'" Lena gestures again for emphasis even though she slurs a bit.
Kara realizes Lena's on her way from 'slightly buzzed' to drunk so she starts to slide her glasses of water in between the shots.
The glasses of water don't escape Lena's notice. And for a moment she's punched again by the weight of her love for Kara.
God, it's the little things that make me fall for her. Lena thinks to herself as she watches Kara engage in a bickering session with Alex.
"Damn right, we're the cool kids." Lex says with a wink that has Lena rolling her eyes, "How 'bout we make this night more interesting?" Lex asks and Nia groans out a, "Please don't make us play a ridiculous drinking game. We already got kicked out of here once. I do not want a repeat."
Kara remembers that night clearly, Nia was referring to the "The Great Intoxication of 2018”. Alex just finished her pre-med degree and Lex thought it was a good idea to rent out the whole bar for the night. And let’s just say, things got out of hand. The night ended with them being kicked out of the bar, never mind the fact that Lex basically bought the bar for the night. M’gann thought it was a good idea to send them home when Lex started ripping his shirt and yelling something about Bruce Banner.
So yes, everybody agreed that they did not want a repeat. Except, Alex and Lex had something up their sleeve. Before any of them can support Nia’s suggestion, tray after tray of green liquid in shot glasses started appearing. It was what all of them had dubbed, “Truth Serum” a special mix from M’gann that had Kara admitting she did indeed broke Alex’s old bass guitar when they were fifteen after three shots. The serum shots were for the ‘idiots-in-love’ as the both of them had started to affectionately call their sisters. The problem was, the rest of the group didn’t know that.
“Wait-did you order this?” Nia asks, gesturing at the full trays now on their table.
“This is an impressive amount of alcohol.” Brainy breathes out and Lex pats him on the back, “Just thought it was a good idea to let loose. We haven’t done shots in a while.”
“Let loose? More like suicide.” Lena mumbles under her breath, Alex almost agrees with her before remembering their plan and jumping to Lex’s defense.
“Ya know what? You too have been killjoys all throughout this evening. So as compensation, three shots for you,” she pushes the glasses to Kara “-and three for you.” this time Alex pushes them to Lena.
Kara’s face turns to annoyance, “We have not been- you know what? Fine. You want me to do shots. I’ll do shots.”
Everybody gapes as Kara downs three shots in less than 60 seconds. Alex always knows which words to say to get under Kara’s skin.
Lena’s arms shootout to steady Kara. “Whoa, darling. That was fast. Way too fast.” She says, noting how Kara’s face winces at the burn; red dusting her cheeks.
“Who knew Kara ‘Actual Puppy’ Danvers had it in her?” Lex hoots and Lena feels the unstoppable urge to deck him. “Now you, sis.” He turns to her, eyebrows wiggling in what Lena guesses is, challenge, but in reality really just makes her brother look like an idiot.
Lena rolls her eyes and diverts her energy to downing three drinks instead. Albeit a bit slower than Kara, but quick nonetheless. Nia lets out a whoop and follows suit not wanting to be left behind. Lena can feel her inhibitions slowly leave her. Her brain is way too slow at saying this is a bad idea.
Alex shoots Lex a conspiratorial look as she notices her sister get more handsy with Lena. The hand at the back becomes arms curled at the waist and innocent looks become less and less innocent.
The two of them take shots like the rest of the group as not to arouse suspicion.
Part One: Get them drunk.
Part Two: Make them talk.
Alex takes one look at Lex and knows that they had the same thing in mind, just now.
“Okay, how ‘bout a game of Truth or Dare.” Lex prompts and everybody else is too wasted to disagree.
Great. Plan’s working,
“Nia,” Alex starts, “Truth or Dare?”
“Dare.”
“Alright, I dare you to stop a car outside and tell them their wheels are turning.”
That was only the beginning.
By the time that Alex gets to Kara, the group is already dying from laughter. The dares had almost gotten out of hand. Before Lex steers it back to where he wants it to go.
“Kara, I dare you to tell us who’s the love of your life?”
Kara’s whole body stiffens like she’s been caught in a trap before it eases back to neutral, “That’s easy. Potstickers.” she says and it takes everything in her to not gulp nervously.
“Bullshit. I said who not what.”
Kara’s panic is visible now and Lena notices. She runs her thumb in a comforting manner along the forearm that Kara has wrapped at her waist. “Ignore them. It’s just a stupid dare.”
Kara relaxes under the touch and Kara thinks, Fuck it. Might as well answer the damn dare. She takes one more shot of liquid courage, Lex’s eyes gleam in victory as he realizes what Kara’s about to do. Kara steels herself, feels the burn in her throat, parts her lips-
Here we go…
-and promptly throws-up all over the table.
“I feel like hell.”
“Mm-hmm. I would too, had I done what you did last night." Lena smiles as she looks at Kara’s deflated form at the bed; bags under her eyes and wild, wild, blonde hair splayed on pristine sheets. She looks like an angel. A tired hungover angel, but an angel nonetheless.
“Your brother’s a jerk.” Lena laughs as she slowly crawls on the bed and leans down to cradle Kara’s face gently, “He is.” she confirms before pressing their lips together. The kiss is soft and sweet, like the morning dew after a rain. For a moment, Kara forgets she’s hungover. Lena’s lips are magic in a way.
“Coffee?” She offers once they part and Kara slowly perks up as she now registers the smell of brewed caffeine. Kara nods dumbly, still a bit dreamy after the kiss. Lena just smiles at her again and hands her the mug of coffee sat on the bedside table.
“Come here,” Kara says as she makes room for Lena and lifts the blankets with one hand. She immediately curls in-front of Kara cozy between her lap and tugs the blanket back on the both of them, as Kara wraps around her, with a careful hand still wrapped around the mug.
“You’re the love of my life, you know?”
14 Hours After The Truth Serum Setback
“What’s your plan now?”
“Get a hot coffee and maybe throw up a little in the bathroom.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“We almost had it, Alex.”
“At least, now we know better than to trick Kara into getting drunk.”
Two rooms away from them, the ‘idiots-in-love’ are wrapped around each other under one blanket.
But nobody needs to know that.