The One With The Ode To Lena Luthor
“What do you mean there was a moment? What kind of moment?” Alex asks, barely ducking Kara’s punch. The Danvers sisters were having an early morning sparring session in the green room at the DEO. Kara shrugs her shoulders, as she blocks a kick from Alex.
“I don’t know, okay. It was almost like…” Alex lunges forward wrestling Kara to the ground. Kara dodges a punch to the face, and reverses their positions, pinning Alex to the pat.
“Almost like what?” Kara releases her, stands up, and helps Alex to her feet. Both sisters are breathing hard, having sparred for the better part of an hour. Kara rests her hands on her hips, and avoiding Alex’s curious gaze says
“Well, for a second it seemed like we were gonna…”
“Kiss?” Alex interrupts her, unable to hide the surprise in her voice .”She tried to kiss you?” Kara shakes her head.
“No, no, not exactly. We were both just...standing there, but I got the feeling like...if we had been somewhere else...if we had really been alone, we might have.” She chances a glance at Alex, whose expression is gentle. Alex absorbs this new information and shrugs.
“Do you want to kiss her?” she asks quietly. Kara looks away.
“Alex…” Her sister holds her hands up as if in surrender, walking over and drinking from her water bottle before offering it to Kara.
“Well, I mean, do you...is this something you’ve thought about before? With Lena? Do you like her?” Kara takes the bottle, but doesn’t drink. Instead she paces nervously, avoiding Alex’s eyes.
“Of course, I like her! She’s incredible! Obviously. She’s so brave, and strong, and...resolute. She has such a desire to do good, to help people, you know? Just like me. And she’s constantly making sacrifices and enduring ridicule for that. But she hasn’t let it make her hateful. She hasn’t let her family corrupt or discourage her. She just...takes it. And it only seems to make her more determined. She’s just so…” Kara looks at Alex then. Her sister is standing there, hands on her hips, smiling knowingly. Kara blushes realizing she’s just made an Ode to Lena Luthor. She can’t help but smile back at her sister as she tried to backtrack. “I just mean, that...I’m not sure how I feel, okay? I admire her, and I think she’s amazing, but I’m not sure when it may have turned into…”
“Something more than friendship?” Alex offers. Kara sighs and nods. Alex goes over and takes her sister’s hand. “Kara, listen, I’m obviously not an expert, but based on what you’re telling me...I’m not sure you and Lena were ever really just friends.” Kara smiles shyly at this. Could that be true? Lena had always been flirty, from the moment they met. And for the longest time, Kara convinced herself that that was just Lena’s personality. She was a flirty person. But maybe it was time to admit that Kara had liked it. She had flirted back. There was something there between them. She dared to let herself think it.
“I don’t know, Alex. Maybe it’s all in my head. Maybe Lena isn’t even...into me, you know? Everything’s confusing right now. Her ex is in town, being all sexy and scary… And this Co-Op is super important for L-Corp. Whatever this is, I can wait and figure it out, once things calm down.”
Alex shrugs and steps away. “Take your time. Figure out how you feel.” Kara nods. I feel like I want to throw Lydia Tate into space.
---------
Kara stopped at Noonan’s for coffee. They were pretty busy, so Kara stood aside going over her notes from the day before as she waited for her order. She was so focused on reading she didn’t notice someone approach her.
“Kiera, right? Kiera Danvers?” Kara looked up to find Lydia and her assistant standing in front of her. Kara can’t control the frown that tugs at her lips. Lydia was wearing her usual white-toothed smile and red lipstick. Her teeth are so white. Is that natural? Kara wondered.
“Kara.” She said tightly, correcting the businesswoman.
“I’m sorry?” Lydia asked stepping closer to her in the crowded coffee shop. Kara did her best not to sound hostile, and pushed her glasses back up her nose.
“My name, it’s Kara. Kara Danvers.” She met Lydia’s eyes and refused to fidget under her stare. Lydia was quiet for a moment, her expression didn’t change, but Kara could have sworn she saw her eyes narrow in annoyance.
“Kara, of course. I noticed you yesterday at L-Corp.” Lydia looked Kara up and down, her eyes scrutinizing. Without looking away from Kara, she spoke to her assistant. He was a short young guy with his blonde hair slicked back with entirely too much gel. “Jeffery, go get the coffee, please.”
“Of course, Ms. Tate.” And Jeffery quickly disappeared into the crowd of people near the counter.
“Tell me, Ms. Danvers, exactly how does a reporter from Catco get an exclusive like this?” Lydia finally stopped evaluating her and met her eyes again. “Lena has always loathed the press.” Kara did fidget then, despite herself. She looked away and closed her notepad.
“L-Corp needs good press. I’m sure Lena wants everyone to know that L-Corp is ready to do business again.” Lydia dismissed this with a wave of her hand, apparently unsatisfied with that answer. She points at Kara.
“Yes, but why Catco? Why you?” Lydia is still smiling. To someone watching them, she would still look polite. But something in the way she say it, something in her eyes, makes Kara stiffen. What’s she insinuating? Summoning some of her Supergirl confidence,Kara stands a little straighter, crosses her arms over her chest, and turns to face Lydia.
“Lena and I are friends. She trusts me to do the story justice. She knows I appreciate all the good she’s trying to accomplish.” Lydia’s smile widens, she seems amused by Kara’s change in demeanor. She finally looks down and away from Kara, letting her gaze wander the coffee shop. Some of her usual intensity fades. Kara relaxes a bit as well.
“You know, Lena and I went to boarding school together. Did she tell you that?” The topic change is unexpected, but a relief. The conversation no longer feels like an interrogation. Kara nods.
“Yes, she did. She told me you two were...involved.” Lydia looks back at her then, clearly surprised.
“Oh? I’m surprised she told you that.” Kara can’t gauge her reaction. Is she mad? Lydia looks down again, shrugging it off. “Well, we’ve been a lot of things to each other over the years.” Kara is suddenly really uncomfortable. Should they be talking about Lena? She fiddles with her glasses again.
“Well, all that’s off the record, anyway. Like I said, we’re friends…” Lydia chuckles at this, shocking Kara into silence. What’s happening? Kara wonders, eyeing the other woman suspiciously.
“Friends?” Lydia asks, her unsettling smile has returned. There is nothing Kara can do about the blush that creeps up her neck. Lydia rolls her eyes, and leans closer to Kara. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Ms. Danvers. Luthors don’t have friends.” Kara’s feels the cringle form on her brow as she stares at Lydia. Before Kara can say anything, the barista shouts her name.
“Danvers! Order up!” Lydia laughs to herself and pulls away.
“I believe that’s you. I’ll see you at L-Corp.” Lydia says, effectively dismissing her. Kara collects her coffee and leaves without another word. She can feel Lydia’s gaze on her as she goes.