Until Next Time?

Seventh hour – 7:30pm

“I know what you’re doing,” Lena says with her arms crossed when Kara comes by to clear her main course plate.

“What? I-I…I have to…do my…job-so,” Kara all but trips over her words, and nearly her feet.

“You’re avoiding me…again,” Lena spits out the last word and at least the other woman looks guilty. But like every other time Lena has tried to talk to her, Kara rushes off.

“God I can’t do this,” Kara says as she slams the plates on the counter (she makes sure to curb her strength just enough to not break the plates… or the counter).

“Main course plates are always the worst to clear. It’ll get easier from here,” Winn tries to reassure her.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah, I know,” he looks at her sympathetically.

“I hate avoiding her because I did it before and it was totally uncalled for, but I feel like now I just have to,” she puts her head in her hands. “I just have to do it. I have to get through the meal without talking to her.”

“And dare I mention the after bar?” Winn asks with trepidation.

“That’s for future-me to think about,” she decides.

“Right…”

Ninth hour – 9pm

Kara is clearing away the various glasses from dinner, having successfully avoided Lena Luthor. She feels a bit bad about it, but has to keep reminding herself that Lena probably didn’t think twice when it came to her new boyfriend. Hell, for all Kara knew she had probably got with him before nearly kissing her.

Still, Kara isn’t one to judge too harshly. Lena’s romantic and sexual choices are her own…even if they do involve some stupid boy.

“Wow, are you ok?” A girl carrying a ridiculous amount of water glasses asks her.

“Y-yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Kara asks defensively.

“You’re white knuckling that tray…” she eyes the tray suspiciously, “woah, are you bending it?”

“Oh no no no, it was… like that… already…”

“Right…” she doesn’t seem convinced, “seriously though, is something wrong?” She places down her tray and Kara follows suit.

“I dunno,” Kara looks down at her shoes, “I mean my mind is all over the place.” When she looks up again she can see that the girl is looking at her with gentle expression.

“I’m Kara, by the way, I don’t think we’ve met.”

“M’gann, it’s nice to meet you, Kara,” she gives her a kind smile. “So what’s the problem?”

“There’s this girl and she kinda made it seem like she liked me and now she’s with someone else,” Well, everyone else basically knows so why not M’gann?

“Ow, that’s harsh, I’m sorry,” she lifts up her tray again and Kara does the same. “You know what I do when an ex messes me up?”

Kara shakes her head as they walk slowly towards the kitchen.

“Get under someone else. Always works for me,” she answers putting the tray down and waiting for another.

“Oh, what… like…sex?” she whispers conspicuously.

“You’re adorable,” M’gann can’t help but smile at Kara’s innocence, “not just that…but yeah, mainly that.”

Kara begins to look rather flustered.

“I mean it’s all about finding someone else to focus your energy towards,” M’gann says quickly rectifying her answer. “If you find someone worth your time it’s like magic, you just forget the other person.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Kara ponders for a second.

Suddenly, they hear their manager yelling at them to stop chatting and get to work. They scatter.

Tenth hour – 10pm

She feels a tap on her shoulder and turns to see Winn smiling at her.

“Hey, kiddo.”

“I’m older than you, Winn,” Kara comments dryly.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he waves off her remark and then looks at her with a concerned smile. “Look, I thought I should say goodbye and see how you are.”

“You’re going? We only have two hours left. Are you ok?” She blurts out all at once.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he laughs at her dismayed expression, “I’m doing cloakroom for the rest of the night, so I probably won’t see you before I go.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you gonna be alright? You know…with all this Lena stuff?” He asks.

“I’ll be ok,” but she doesn’t sound like she’s actually convinced herself.

“She’s gonna be at the after bar.”

“Don’t I know it,” she rolls her eyes, “I just…it’s two more hours, I have to remind myself of that,” Winn can see she’s getting more and more worked up.

“She’ll probably want to talk,” he’s almost afraid to ask his next question. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I never know!” Kara all but sobs, “I kept asking people all day. James told me to sink into my hobbies. Lucy told me to have fun with friends. M’gann told me to sleep with people!”

“M’gann’s liberal sex life is impressive,” Winn comments briefly.

“Everyone told me the same thing just in different ways…to move on.” Kara finishes with a sigh.

“And what do you want to do?”

“I just…I just want her.”

Her voice cracks at the confession and Winn gathers her up into a hug.

“You, Kara Danvers, have to stop listening to everyone telling you how to live your life,” she can feel herself thinking about Clark again.

“If you want her, then go get her.”

Tenth hour – 10:30pm

Kara always finds it’s an interesting experience being around people who are extremely drunk. Now, however, it’s just annoying. Mainly her irritation stems from having to clean up after them, which isn’t an easy task as they all seem to be in her way specifically.

She divides her time between snaking around the room, clearing people’s empty glasses and chatting with Lucy who’s slumped at the bar, looking as tired as Kara feels.

“Excuse me, can I get a vodka lemonade, please?” A familiar voice asks, pulling Kara and Lucy from a fascinating conversation about how James is teaching Lucy to cook, unsuccessfully.

“Of course, ma’am,” Lucy replies, beginning to make the drink.

“You like your spirits straight,” Kara comments with a frown.

“It’s not for me, it’s for my…friend,” Lena replies, her smile tight lipped.

“Ah right, your friend. Got it.” She crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows.

“What is your problem? I’ve been trying to talk to you all night and you’re avoiding me, so here I am not even trying and you’re getting antsy with me?” Lena all but growls, “what gives you the right to judge me?”

“Woah…wait, is she…?” Lucy looks between the two women, putting the pieces together.

“Here’s your drink, I’m just…gonna serve…some guy over there.” She briskly jogs over to the other end of the bar, giving them some space.

“I didn’t wanna say anything, but…that guy? Really, Lena?” Kara points at the man in question who is dancing with, or rather being danced on by some drunk, young woman.

“I thought we were…” she looks at her feet, “I thought we might be…something?” Eventually Kara looks up at Lena to find the woman shaking her head slowly.

“Wow, I almost feel bad for you.”

“Huh?”

“That guy, as you have so graciously dubbed him, is related to me, Kara.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” Lena sighs, “you didn’t even bother to talk to me or ask me about him.” At this point Kara shifts about looking guilty.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just the news…” she trails off, feeling stupid.

“Yeah, what news exactly? E! News? Notorious for their thorough and accurate research in the tabloid world,” she remarks sarcastically. “If they said I was head of the Westboro Baptist Church would you believe that too?”

“I mean…n-no,” Kara sighs, “I’m really sorry, Lena, I jumped to conclusions again, it wasn’t fair the first time and it’s not fair now.”

“I was going to introduce you to him, you know?” She says looking in the man’s direction.

“He’s called Mike and…and he’s my biological brother. I found out about him not too long ago, he’s got nowhere to stay right now so I’m helping him find a job. I didn’t want the media finding out about him because they would have a field day, he doesn’t deserved to be dragged into the Luthor spotlight. The things they’d say about him, the speculation…” she trails off still staring at Mike with a look of grief and pity. “I’m all he has.”

“I am so sorry, Lena,” Kara says softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lena brushes it off and turns on her.

“No, not this time.”

Suddenly, Lena’s gone and Kara is left standing there with tears welling up in her eyes.

Twelfth hour – 12am

It’s over. It’s done.

Finally, Kara’s completed the shift and she feels worse than ever. Just not for the reasons she thought she would. She didn’t think she’d feel as tired as she does, but her bones ache and her heart is heavy. Most of the evening is a blur now, but the parts that stick out in her brain are the ones she wants to forget. A taxi is meant to be waiting for her to take her home and Kara is relieved to see it.

“Kara Danvers?” The taxi driver asks as she approaches the window. She nods, but before she can get in, a limo pulls up next to it and the back door opens. Kara recognises it instantly.

“Um, actually, I won’t be needing this taxi,” she says and gives the driver an apologetic look before running to the limo.

Peering in Kara can see Lena lounging with a glass in her hand. Alone. Kara stands there awkwardly.

“I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me after…” she trails off, not knowing how to categorize her behaviour.

“I didn’t,” Lena begins harshly. She looks at Kara and sighs, “but…well…I have a soft spot for you, Kara Danvers. Damn it, I wish I didn’t but we should at least talk.”

The younger woman begins to climb in.

“But,” Kara stops, “I’m not gonna let this slide again, you understand?”

“Got it,” Kara says saluting her and Lena chuckles. It feels right.

“I’m sorry for not talking to you sooner and just assuming…it’s not right what I did and I really am sorry, Lena,” she says sincerely, taking Lena’s hand.

“It’s alr-” Lena begins.

“No, no, it’s not and I’m gonna make it up to you,” Kara says firmly.

At that Lena raises her eyebrows, “are you?” Kara doesn’t miss the connotation behind her words and a blush rises from her neck to her cheeks.

“A date.”

“A date?”

“Oh, uh, well i-if you’re still interested, that is,” Kara just about stammers out.

“I’m intrigued, you’re asking me out?” Lena can’t quite believe it and it hurts to see that. Kara notices Lena’s self-doubt every time it crops up. After all, she has her own. She sees now that her assumptions and suspicions have affected Lena so much more than she thought. Her heart drops, but this time she knows what to do.

“Yes, of course I am. Lena, you’re smart and beautiful and, God, it’s not enough for me to say so,” she’s clutching Lena’s hand at this point. “Let me prove it. Let me take you on a date and make up for this all.”

“I don’t know, Kara…” Lena trails off and Kara can sense she’s slipping.

“You know, I asked a lot of people for help when I thought you were with someone else…because I had no idea what to do,” Kara sighs and Lena looks up at her.

“Everyone told me to get over you in some way but the more they said it, the more I knew that wasn’t the answer,” she chuckles lightly.

“Maybe, somehow, I knew you hadn’t done that. It doesn’t matter. What does matter,” she locks eyes with Lena, “is that when someone finally asked what I wanted…I said,” she chokes up, barely able to get the words out,

“I said…I wanted you.”

It’s barely a whisper, but at this point they’re so close Lena can feel the words.

The limo stops with a heavy jolt. As if awoken from a daze they snap apart. They’re both blushing now. Slowly, Kara gets out of the vehicle.

“5pm. Tomorrow.” It’s abrupt and Kara doesn’t have enough time to ask, or even process, what Lena’s talking about when a piece of paper lands in her hand. The door to the limo closes and it whizzes away.

Kara looks down. It’s an address.

She rushes upstairs to her apartment and the first thing she does is call up Alex.

“Kara…uh…now isn’t a good time…” she can hear shuffling on the other end of the phone.

“I asked Lena out and she said yes!” She starts jumping up and down, careful not to plow herself through the floor.

“What? Oh my God, Kara, that’s amazing!” Alex says.

“I thought she already asked you out?” She hears Maggie ask from the other end of the phone and she seems to be really close to the receiver.

“Maggie, I didn’t realise you were there too,” Kara says surprised.

“Oh, I am definitely here, heh,” she says it far too seductively to mean anything else…

“Ew! Oh God, Alex, what the hell? Were you two…?”

“I tried to tell you,” Alex says under her breath. “Anyway, that’s not the point, you’re going on a date with Lena Luthor!”

They all cheer and make various celebratory noises.

“So, when is it?” Alex finally asks.

“Tomorrow at 5pm,” Kara squeals.

“What have you planned for the date?”

“Uh…”

“Kara?”

“Well…”

“Kara.”

“Look, it was spur of the moment, I didn’t know what I was doing!” She screeches down the phone.

“Uh oh,” that’s Maggie, of course.

That’s when it all comes crashing down. Again. Kara Danvers has no idea how to plan a date.

She’s got sixteen hours to plan the best date of Lena Luthor’s life.

First hour – 1am