Exs & Ohs

Lena manages to rein in her anger long enough to get the meeting underway. The purpose of today’s meeting was mostly to share ideas. Both companies’ R&D divisions would be making presentations on the projects they hoped to collaborate on, as well as sussing out who would be in charge of which projects. And so Lena sat, stewing in her outrage over Marshall’s insult, as the scientists and engineers took point.

Why wasn’t Marshall Tate here? Was he deliberately snubbing her? Was he ill? Was this Lydia’s doing? A million furious questions ran through her mind.

All the while Lydia sat across from her, pristine and seemingly enthralled by the presentations. Of course, Lena knew the other woman was bored out of her skull. A love of science and technology was not something the two had bonded over in the past. Lena had always excelled at such things, engineering and chemistry, in school. While Lydia had lead Excelsior’s debate team and Mock U.N. to multiple championships. Lydia may have, at times, found Lena’s scientific interests sexy, but otherwise she could care less.

Looking at Lydia only agitated Lena further. She turned her chair slightly, while readjusting her legs under the table, and caught sight of Kara out of the corner of her eye. The reporter was listening intently, a small cringle between her brow. She jotted down notes every few seconds, and had to keep brushing back a stray blonde lock that had escaped her ponytail. The sight helped ease the pressure in Lena chest, and she found herself fighting a smile.

Kara’s blue eyes flickered to her then, catching her staring. A smile lit the girl’s face and the board room suddenly seemed a whole lot brighter. Kara gave Lena a shy little wave, like they were in grade school and she was afraid the teacher would see. The CEO had to smile at the thought. Lena turned her chair back towards the front of the room, only to find that Lydia was now staring at her. A sly smirk parted Lydia’s red lips as she arched her eyebrows inquisitively. Her eyes moved from Lena to Kara then back again, and she seemed to think she’d discovered something. Lena glared at her before turning her attention back to the presentation.

It seemed like the whole day had past, by the time Jess approached Lena, and whispered “Would you like to recess for lunch, Ms. Luthor?”

Lena glanced down at her watch, it was nearly one and the medical divisions had yet to present. She stood as the engineers’ finally concluded their proposals.

“I think, this has been a good start. Why don’t we take an hour for lunch?” The whole room seemed to sigh with relief, everyone stood and stretched, packing up their papers. Lydia remained seated, smiling up at Lena.

“Why don’t we call it a day? Save medical and agriculture for tomorrow?” Lydia looked around the room as if taking a vote.

“It’s only one o'clock.” Jess said matter-of-factly from where should stood typing on her tablet behind Lena. Lydia fixed the dark haired girl with an irritated scowl. It took Jess a moment to notice, then she looked up from her tablet with frightened eyes.

“Yes,” Lydia says in a low voice “I too have a watch, thank you.” Jess dropped her eyes, and cowered behind Lena.

“Are we boring you, Lydia?” Lena tries to distract her from Jess. Lydia finally stands and shrugs her shoulders.

“Just seems like we covered a lot today, that’s all. No need to rush when we have all week.” Lena sighed and looked around the room, everyone was looking to her for freedom. Lydia was partially correct, Today was taken up by the biggest department, engineering. Tomorrow should be plenty of time for the medical and agriculture teams, then Wednesday and Thursday would fall to the lawyers to finalize all the details.

“Fine.” Lena conceded, ready to just be out of this room. Away from Lydia’s smug mouth. “You’re all free. We’ll resume tomorrow at nine o’clock.” Lydia at last seemed satisfied.

“Excellent. I’d call this a success.”  She offers Lena a smile that is not returned. Lena swiftly turned and walked away.

The room had cleared, but Kara was still firmly seated in her chair, scribbling diligently.  Lena could feel Lydia’s gaze lingering on her as she approached Kara.

“I hope that wasn’t too painful for you.” Lena says with a timid smile. She couldn’t shake the insecurity that perhaps the reporter was only here out of obligation or politeness.

“Not at all!” Kara said closing her notepad and standing. “It was actually fascinating. The implications of some of the technology you’re dreaming up are...well it’s amazing what you’re trying to accomplish here, Lena.”

Pride swelled in the CEO’s chest. “I hoped you’d see the good here.” Because you try to see the good everywhere. Lena thinks.

Kara places her hand on Lena’s elbow, her voice filled with sincerity.

“Thank you again. For all of this. For having me here.”

Lena can’t seem to tear her gaze from Kara’s, and the hand on her elbow is impossible to ignore. She doesn’t want to move or breathe. She doesn’t want to shatter this moment.

What if she leaned in right now? What if she kissed Kara Danvers right here, right now in the empty conference room? The thought thrilled her. And for the first time it didn’t seem so crazy. Because Lena could swear she saw something in Kara’s blue gaze that she hadn’t dared let herself see before.

“Ms. Luthor?” Then Jess is there in the doorway, staring down at her tablet, completely unaware of what she may have just interrupted.  

Kara pulls her hand away, and brings it up to fiddle with her glasses. Lena takes a step back and clears her throat.

“Yes, Jess?” She tries not to sound annoyed. Jess looks up then, and her eyes glance between the two women standing awkwardly.

“Um, Ms. Tate, would like to speak to you...privately.”

Snap.

The pencil Kara was clutching in her fist snapped in two, and Kara is so surprised she drops it and her notepad to the floor.

“Oh, shoot!” Kara exclaims, her cheeks burning pink. She reaches down to pick up her things, and tosses the two halves of the pencil into the trash. “That’s why I shouldn’t buy cheap.” She says laughing nervously. Lena places a hand on the reporter’s shoulder, concerned.

“Kara, are you alright?” The girl is completely flustered.

“Yeah, yes, absolutely. Um, I should get going though.” She holds up her notepad. “I have lots to think about and research, and I should let you get back to work.” She gathers her bag from the floor and steps towards the door.

“Well, don’t work too hard.” Lena tells her, amused by the nervous rambling. Kara smiles shyly.

“I should say the same to you, but I know it’s no use.” And then she’s gone, and the room seems a bit darker.

Lydia is waiting for her outside Lena’s office, staring at her phone. Lena doesn’t speak to her as she passes by. The only indication she’s invited in is the open door. The CEO heads straight for the bottle of scotch she keeps in the cabinet, she’s already pouring a glass as Lydia comes inside and closes the door.

“You’re angry.” Lydia points out, dropping her purse by the door, and surveying the room.

Lena doesn’t answer, only takes a long drink. She can hear the click of Lydia’s heels as she slowly walks around the room.

“You sensed that, did you?” Lena finally says turning to face her ex. Lydia smiles to herself. She stops and picks up Lena’s framed diploma from Excelsior.

“And what is it you’re angry about exactly? That he’s not here or that I am?”

Lydia turns to her then, losing the smile and looking serious for the first time. Lena’s not sure of the answer, so she takes another sip of her drink to avoid the question.

“I never knew Marshall well. But I don’t remember him being a vindictive man. Why would he conduct business this way?” Lydia sighs and makes her way over to Lena’s bottle of scotch.

The brunette immediately moves, walking over to lean on her desk. Lydia chuckles at the distance Lena keeps between them, but doesn’t comment on it.

“This isn’t a punishment, Lena. He honestly would be here if he could.” Lydia pours herself a glass and takes a timid sip.

Scotch was never her thing, Lena remembers. More of a martini kinda girl.

“He always liked you.” Lydia goes on to say. Lena looks down and relaxes a bit, her indignation exhausted for the moment.

“What is it you’re not telling me, Lydia?” It’s not an accusation, and Lena doesn’t expect an answer. Sure enough, Lydia smiles and changes the subject.

“Tell me, Lena…” The blonde walks over and admires the balcony. “Do you know Supergirl?” Lena laughs at the lack of segway, but decides not to push just yet. She finishes her glass, and goes back for a second.

“Why do you ask?”

Lydia shrugs her shoulders, and continues looking out the window as if she expects the Girl of Steel to fly by.

“I watch the news. When she first revealed herself, I remember being a bit jealous of National City, you know? I wondered what Midway had to do to get it’s own Super. Our crime rate is nothing to scoff at.” She laughs and takes another sip of her scotch.

“They’re the only two, Lydia. Not really enough to go around.” Lena tells her. Lydia turns around and goes to sit on the couch, taking the spot Kara usually occupies.

“That’s what they’ve told us anyway.” Lydia mutters. Lena sits on the opposite end of the couch, still wary of their proximity.

“I trust Supergirl.” She finds herself saying, feeling the need to defend the hero. “I’ve seen the way she talks about the loss of her people. It doesn’t feel like a lie.”

Even as she’s saying the words, she knows she’s said too much.

Lydia’s smirk has returned, mischievous as ever.

“So you do know her!” Lydia accuses. Lena takes a long drink to avoid saying more. “She saved you, right? A few times.”

Lena is tiring of the conversation. What’s Lydia getting at?

“Yes, well, it seems I have the Luthor knack for finding trouble.” Though Luthors usually are the trouble, she thinks hatefully.

Lydia bites her bottom lip, and scrutinizes Lena closely. The brunette fights the urge to squirm under her gaze.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Lydia seems to hesitate only momentarily.

“Are you fucking her?”  

Lena chokes on her scotch and it burns her throat fiercely. After her coughing fit subsides, she croaks

“What? What did you say?”

Lydia smiles obviously amused, and tilts her head as if she can see the answer to her question if she just looks at Lena the right way.

“Supergirl. Are you sleeping with her?” She asks again.

Lena stands up flustered and nearly speechless.

“Come on, you can tell me.” Lydia says, innocently sipping her drink.

“Why would you even think that?” Lena asks, reeling at the suggestion. 

I mean, sure she would be lying if she said she didn’t find Supergirl...attractive, to say the least. But the thought of sleeping with the superhero had never actually cross her mind. Until now. Now, she suddenly could think of little else, and heat rose in her cheeks.

Lydia laughed. “So that’s a no then? Honestly?”

Lena tried to laugh too, like maybe it was a joke. Was it a joke? Was Lydia just fucking with her? But the humor was clearly forced, because she was struck by the image.

Supergirl lifting her onto the desk and maybe running her strong hands up her legs, over her thighs...

“No! No, definitely not.” Lena declared turning away from her desk, and pushing the fantasy away.

“That’s a shame.” Lydia was saying, standing up and finishing her glass. “I mean, between you and I, I would do that in a heartbeat. And so would you, don’t lie.”

“Lydia…” Lena says shaking her head.

“Oh, come on,” Lydia continues setting her glass down and walking back over to the window. “All that power, that skirt, the sexy self-righteousness, and she’s so serious! I’d like to see her...loosen up.”

Lena actually laughs then. “We all have our kinks, I suppose.”

She comes to stand next to Lydia and look out over the city. This is the closest they’ve been during the whole conversation. Lena crosses her arms over her chest. She can feel Lydia looking at her.

“What about that reporter of yours?” Lydia asks, gently this time.

Lena doesn’t look at her as she shrugs her shoulders.

“You thought, I didn’t notice her today.” Lydia continues “You hate the press, Lena, that’s something you got from Lionel.”

Lena rolls her eyes and finally looks at Lydia. The woman’s hazel eyes are studying her face.

“You like her.” Lydia concludes, and looks away.

Why do you care? Lena wants to ask. Why do I care if you care? She bites her cheek to resist, suddenly feeling emotional. She doesn’t trust herself to speak just then.

Lydia sighs. “She’s not really your type though, is she? All goody-goody and pastels. I doubt she could keep up.”

Lena bristles at this, and turns away. Her voice grows cold again.

“Is this what you wanted to discuss, Lydia? Blondes? Because I thought you were eager to go and some of us have work to do.”

Lena sits at her desk and opens her laptop. It’s clear the conversation is over.

“I see, I struck a nerve.” Lydia says, turning away from the window with a huff, and gathering her purse by the door.

Lena doesn’t respond. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She leaves without another word from Lena.

But as soon as the woman is gone Lena sighs in relief, completely exhausted from the emotional toil of her ex girlfriend's presence. She takes her hair down and runs her hands through it, taking several deep breathes.

Surely the whole week wouldn’t be like this.