Kiss the Girl
Kara and Lena meet in the middle of the crowded room. They were both in a hurry to get to each other, but now that they’re here, the girls just stare and smile.
“Hi!” Kara nearly shouts over the music.
“Hi.” Lena replies. Both girl wore their hair down, and now they both nervously tuck it behind their ears. Kara laughs at their shared awkwardness, and leans towards Lena a bit, so she can hear her.
“Do you want a drink?” she asks. Lena nods gratefully.
“Yes, a drink would be great!”
“Follow me.” Kara takes Lena’s hand and leads her out of the center of the party and into the much quieter kitchen.
Several people mill about pouring drinks or chatting in the doorway.
“Whatdaya have? Beer?” Kara asks filling her own empty cup from the keg.
Lena leans on the counter. “Anything stronger?” she asks resting her elbows on the countertop.
It takes a lot of effort for Kara not to start at the exposed skin of her neck.
“Sure, uh…” The blonde busies herself examining the array of liquor bottles on the counter. “Scotch? Vodka? Whiskey?”
“Whiskey, please.” Kara pours a generous amount into a plastic cup and hands it to Lena. They’re fingers brush ever so slightly, which makes Kara blush. Lena bites her bottom lip as Kara’s cheeks turn red.
“Sorry, I’m late.” She says “I had some schoolwork I forgot about.”
“That’s okay. You’re here now. “ Kara says simply, pulling herself up to sit on the counter. They both sip their drinks.
“Where is here exactly?” Lena asks, gesturing around “Whose place is this?”
Kara shrugs. “It’s a sorority dorm. Some of the girls from my team live here.” she explains.
“But not you?” Lena asks sipping her drink. Kara shakes her head laughing.
“No, um, I live just off campus with my sister. Sororities aren’t really my thing.”
“Mine either. “ Lena tells her “Though my mother would have loved for me to join one. I just find the whole pledging process...distasteful.”
“And mean.” Kara adds with a frown “It always seems so mean.”
“Yes, exactly.” Lena nods, turning around and leaning back against the counter.
They fall comfortably silent for a moment. Kara looks down at Lena as Lena looks down at her drink. Lena’s hair has fallen forward and Kara -like a cliche- wants so badly to reach down and brush it back. But she resists, fiddling with her glasses instead.
“I saw you at the match today.” Kara smiles “I was glad to see you there.”
Lena nods, trying to hide her embarrassment.
“I was glad to be there. You played very well.” Lena looks up and watches the blonde fidget.
“Oh, I’m okay, ya know. We have such an amazing team this year. It’s a group effort, really…” Lena smiles at her rambling and Kara notices which makes her stop “Thanks.” she concludes. “Have you ever played any sports?” Kara asks, desperate to learn more about the girl.
Lena shrugs “A little tennis recreationally. Fencing in high school.” Kara nearly chokes on her beer.
“Fencing? Like sword fighting? With swords?” Lena laughs at Kara’s reaction and nods. “That’s so badass!” Kara is shocked.
Lena grins and shrugs. “Have you always been interested in sports?”
“No, not always. I use to be a pretty big science nerd, actually. Still kinda am sometimes. But when I went to live with the Danvers…”
In that moment a horde of party-goes enter the kitchen, chanting “Keg stand! Keg stand! Keg stand!”
Apparently some kind of bet had been placed on a boy named Mike’s ability to chug beer while upside down. It was going to be quite a spectacle, and people were quickly filling the tiny room to watch.
Kara hops down from the counter, and takes Lena’s hand. “Wanna get out of here?” she asks. Lena eyes widen at the suggestion and Kara panics realizing what she’s implied. “I mean, some place quieter!”
Lena laughs. “Absolutely.”
Kara takes Lena’s cup and refills it, before grabbing a bottled beer from the cooler for herself. Then she takes Lena’s hand and leads her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She opens the door to one bedroom and finds a couple already horizontal on the bed.
“Sorry!” Kara shouts, pulling the door closed. Her face is completely red. “Wrong door.” She laughs nervously.
Kara tries the next bedroom and finds it empty. She leads Lena over to the window. “Here, hold this, please.” Kara hands Lena her drink, and opens the window, before swiftly climbing out onto the roof.
“What are you doing?” Lena asks, wondering how much Kara has had to drink. Kara only smiles and offers Lena her hand.
“Do you trust me?” Lena doesn’t answer, but she does pass both their drinks to Kara who sets them down on the roof. Lena crawls out the window carefully, holding one of Kara’s hands for balance.
Once outside she sees that the roof isn’t as slanted as she expected. It actually plains off a bit outside the window allowing them to sit somewhat comfortably. They can still hear the faint pulse of the music from downstairs, but up here the night is dark and cool and relatively quiet.
Lena takes a deep breath of night air, as Kara looks up at the sky.
“I like doing this sometimes.” The girl says with a smile. “ I like looking at the stars.”
“What were you saying before? When we were downstairs?” Lena asks confused “You said when you first moved in with the Danvers…”
“Oh yeah,” Kara nods “I was really shy and withdraw back then. So Jeremiah -my dad- suggested soccer as a way to sort of...get me involved, I guess. It worked really well, obviously. I ended up loving it.”
Lena had a very confused look on her face, and Kara realized she’d skipped some key information.
“Oh! I’m sorry, Lena. I -um- guess this hasn’t really come up yet. But I’m, well, I’m adopted.”
Lena breathed out, obviously shocked.
“Really?”
Kara nodded and adjusted her glasses self-consciously. “Really. My -um- parents died, when I was thirteen. We were in a car accident. I was asleep in the back seat. The doctors said that’s why I survived. But my parents…” Her voice grows thick with sadness, and she takes a long drink from her beer. Lena places a comforting hand on her knee, and strokes gently with her thumb.
“Anyway, the Danvers took me in. A very hurt, very angry, very scared teenage girl. And they loved me like a daughter.” Kara gives a relieved smile and places her hand over Lena’s on her knee. “Sorry, to get all gloomy on ya. I forget people don’t know sometimes, and there’s never really a good time to bring it up.” Kara talks nervously.
Lena shakes her head “No, Kara, I completely understand actually. It’s strange, but I’m also adopted.” Kara’s eyes go wide.
“No way.”
Lena smiles and sips her drink. “Yes way.”
Kara laughs, taking her hand back and running it through her hair. “That’s crazy, Lena! What are the odds?”
“I have no idea. It’s strange, that’s for sure.”
Kara nods her agreement, and gently asks “So the Luthors...? They’re not…?”
Lena shakes her head. “No, they adopted me when I was four. Much younger than you. I don’t remember my birth parents, but I understand they were actually employees at Luthor Corp. Scientists. They died together in some lab accident.” Lena grows quiet, staring at her hand still on Kara’s knee. Kara places her hand over Lena’s again.
“I’m so sorry, Lena.”
Lena looks away “It alright. Like I said, I don’t remember them.”
“But still…” Kara says quietly. Lena nods, and squeezes Kara’s knee.
“I was lucky to end up with Luthors. They gave me the best of everything. They’re the only family I’ve ever known.”
The girls are quiet for a long time. They stare up at the stars.
“I like it up here.” Lena finally says hugging her knees.
Kara watches Lena watch the stars. Her eyes drift down to Lena’s lips, and she bites her own. What was it Maggie had said? Kiss the girls you want to kiss.
“Look a shooting star!” Lena says, pointing towards the sky.
Kara doesn’t take her eyes from Lena’s smile. “Make a wish.” She whispers.
Then Kara reaches out and gently places two fingers under Lena’s chin, slowly turning her face towards her. Lena’s green eyes seem to dare her then. Kara breathes out her nerves, and leans in. Kara’s lips just barely brush Lena’s. Lena feels Kara smile, kissing her again, more sure this time. Lena’s hand snakes up to Kara’s neck and her fingers tangle in the blonde hair as she pulls Kara in, deepening the kiss.
When they pull apart, ever so slightly, Kara rests her forehead against Lena’s. They are both out of breath, but they are both smiling, still holding on to one another.
“What did you wish for?” Kara asks.
“This.” Lena tells her, bringing their lips back together.