First date, Wades in a pretty dress and Pete’s life is about to go to shit because that’s how it goes for that guy.

What song are they dancing to?

“I’m sorry, Alex. I don’t want to ruin your wedding.”

“You’re not, kiddo. This isn’t the wedding, this is just a little night out. I’ll be happy if we get through the ceremony without a bridge collapse or an alien invasion or whatever.”

Everyone was having a good time. Kelly was with James, who’d come in from out of town for the ceremony tomorrow. Nia leaned back to Brainy as she made a giggling attempt to hit the dart board. The other guests were milling about, mingling and chatting and getting tipsy.

Lena felt more than a little maudlin, because Kara was hanging with Alex and that left Lena alone in the crowd.

“I’m so happy for you,” Kara was saying, “I just hope I get it myself some day.”

“You’ll find someone, Kara. You’re a beautiful, amazing person- not Supergirl, you.”

Lena pretended not to notice them, nursing her scotch. (A double, neat)

“That’s just it,” Kara choked out. “There is someone, Alex. There already is. She just won’t ever want me like I want her.”

Lena looked up in absolute shock and at the absolutely, perfectly wrong time. Alex’s eyes met hers, her expression as shocked as Lena’s was.

Rushing away from the bar, Lena headed for the pinball machines, not looking back. She downed the rest of her scotch in a coal-hot rush and it only added to the churning in her belly. She swallowed hard and her throat was instantly dry, and she cursed the afterburn of the liquor.

“You heard her.”

Lena wheeled. Alex was standing behind her, a beer in either hand. She handed one to Lena.

“You know what they say about liquor after beer,” said Lena.

“Lena, we both have advanced degrees and we both know that’s bullshit.”

That was good, because Lena downed half the brew in one long pull.

“Jesus,” said Alex. “I was trying to get you to slow down.”

“Yeah, well,” said Lena. “I’m Irish.”

Alex snorted. “You’re deflecting. You heard what she said.”

“Maybe.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “I’ve been through five fucking years of this and I’ve had enough, Lena.”

“Enough of what?”

“Kara’s wrong about your feelings.”

Lena blinked, took another pull. “How do you know she means me?”

Alex looked at her flatly.

“How do I know it’s you? Because she always rescues you. She’s always defended you. She gave you chance after chance and never gave up even when you were at your worst. Kara would die for you. A fifth dimensional imp offered to grant her wish and she didn’t wish for her planet or her parents or to have our dad back. She wished for you. For a second chance.”

“Fifth dimensional what?”

“She reversed time for you, Lena.”

Lena gaped at her.

“What do you mean? She did what?”

“She made me swear never to tell. There was a time when she was too slow, when she was already in the middle of a disaster when you got shot. She’s the only one who remembers that timeline because she fixed it. She flew at superluminal speed and went backwards in time so she could be in two places at once. Apparently a Kryptonian can do that, but she swears it can only be done the one time.”

Lena’s beer was sloshing in the bottle from the shaking of her hands.

“For God’s sake, Lena. I know you’re in love with her. You two had a bad breakup without even dating first. You spent a billion dollars to hang out with her at work. You filled her office with flowers. You let her in, you let her bring you into our family, and you forgave her for doing something really fucked up and you forgave me for pushing her to do it.”

Alex clapped a hand on her shoulder.

“Lena, sack up and go get your girl. She’s at the bar crying into a Shirley Temple because I cut her off. She’s waiting for you.”

Lena stared at her.

“Alex, I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything. Go. Get. Her.”

Lena looked at her beer, downed the last of it, and gave Alex a curt nod, marching past her.

Kara was sitting at the bar. She was dressed in skinny jeans and a loose N’Sync t-shirt and leather sandals. She was among friends here and had removed her glasses, her hair in a sloppy ponytail. She looked like she’d rather sulk at home than party.

Lena hopped on the stool next to her.

“Hey.”

“Hi, Lee. Having fun?”

“Not really,” said Lena. She waved the bartender away as he approached to offer her another drink. “I’m kind of down honestly.”

“Weddings always depress me,” said Lena. “Watching other people get all the happiness I’ll never have, basking in their joy for a while. It’s like sitting by the fire in someone else’s house, but eventually you have to go home to your own and it’s empty.”

Kara’s eyes glittered with tears. “Yeah. It does feel like that, doesn’t it?”

Lena rested her hand on Kara’s wrist.

“May I have this dance?”

Kara looked up sharply.

“This isn’t really a dancing kind of place.”

Lena snorted. “I’m a billionaire. I can do what I want.”

She slipped off her stool and offered Kara a hand.

Kelly and Alex had reunited. They were talking animatedly, and Alex pointed at Lena. Suddenly she rushed over to the jukebox as Lena took Kara’s hand and led her to an open space.

The music changes to Wonderful Tonight. Eric Clapton.

Lena was going to kill Alex.

“Huh,” said Kara.

It seemed natural that Kara would lead, being taller and more graceful by far, but Lena put a hand on her hip and rested the other on her shoulder, wondering if Kara could feel her pounding pulse through her palms.

It started with them like middle schoolers, half a foot awkwardly apart, movements jerky, but it quickly changed. Lena didn’t know who bridged that gap first but soon they were pressed body to body, Kara tilted forward to rest her forehead against Lena’s.

Lena went from chastely pressing a guiding hand to Kara’s flank to an arm looped lazily around her hips, hand resting gently against her ass. Her other hand moved from Kara’s shoulder to her neck, thumb grazing Kara’s jawline.

Kara, hesitantly, reciprocated, less dancing with Lena and more swaying with her in a meandering hug. They were so close that Lena’s head swam.

“Do you remember when you first got back from the Phantom Zone?”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” said Kara. “When I came back and I saw you standing there, I could barely take it. You looked like an angel.”

Lena nodded gently, nudging closer to Kara until she could feel the presence of the other woman’s lips without touching.

“You looked like you wanted to kiss me.”

Kara’s entire body went briefly rigid, then relaxed.

“You could have,” Lena whispered. “You could have and I’d have kissed you back. I swear I can think of a dozen times when you were about to kiss me and I wanted it right then, I wanted it so bad.”

Kara choked back a small sob. “I remember the first time I thought about it. It was when Morgan Edge was framing you and you were so upset, you were crying. You were so sad and beautiful and soft and I wanted to kiss you right then. I wanted to make you feel better any way I could.”

“That would have been a great time.”

Kara laughed. “That would have been a good time. Maybe the best time.”

“The second best time is now.”

Lena looked up. They were holding each other now and Lena knew there were eyes on them, that their friends were watching.

Kara didn’t seem to notice or care. There was a fresh sparkle in her eyes, wide and nervous, her lips trembling in a half smile. She didn’t seem to know what to make of what Lena said, perhaps questioning if she’d heard right.

Poor Kara, her Kara, would find any excuse to steal the happiness from her own hands, to martyr herself, to seek penance for a crime that she never committed. Lena knew her guilt, felt in sing in her own soul like a kind of magnetic resonance.

Lena Luthor did not believe in silly things like soulmates or fate or destined lovers.

But she believed in Kara Danvers, and Kara Danvers kissed her. Lena barely registered it at first, so gentle was the brushing of Kara’s soft lips against her own. She gave Kara no chance to retreat into embarrassment or confusion, kissing her back so intensely that there could be no mistaking the intent. When she did, it was like seeing the stars for the first time, and a pleasant warmth pooled low in the cradle of her hips.

Kissing Kara felt like coming home.

They were staring at each other. Lena drank the sight of Kara staring at her, shocked expression full of an elation, a pure excited joy that magnified her stunning beauty a thousandfold until Lena thought she might die of pure love for this woman that she held in her arms. She went in for another kiss and this time, neither hesitated.

Alex’s voice cut through it all. “Hey, you two. Get a room.”

She was by the jukebox, grinning ear to ear despite Kelly’s scowl. Before either of them could react, Alex dropped a coin in the jukebox and played… the fucking Macarena.

“I don’t know whether to murder her or send her a gift basket,” Lena snapped.

Kara curled a finger around Lena’s chin and their eyes locked.

“Maybe we should get a room,” Kara whispered.

Lena swallowed hard.

“What are we waiting for?”

Adrien plopped into a chair and sighed. Nino, Luka, and a few of his other friends had staged an intervention for him a few days ago. They had blown up pictures of him, for references. He couldn't help but look at the ones with his head circled in red marker. He couldn't understand when he looked like that; It was as if he was completely relaxed and truly happy.

"Why do I look like that?" The model questioned, "I don't remember making this face. Is this that A.I. thing you were telling me about?"

"I used no such thing!" Declared Max.

"No, Adrien." Luka spoke, "You always make this face, but only around one person."

Adrien sat there confused. He couldn't think of anyone who would make him look like this.

"Who?" He asked.

"Marinette." Nino answered.

Adrien looked at the pictures and then thought of their answer, again.

'Marinette always did make me laugh. I did feel like she listened to me, instead of the model gossip. She's always been a kind and understanding person.'

He nodded, "That makes sense; she's a really great friend".

His friends let out a collective groan. Luka sighed and handed over a $20 bill to Nino. Adrien looked at the exchange confused.

"Adrien." Nino spoke up, "You can say you see Marinette as a friend, but you have a crush on her."

"No I don't!" Adrien shouted.

"Yes, you do!" Luka, Max and Nino shouted back, taking him by surprise.

"You give her so much attention when you talk to her." Nino states, "You basically tune everyone else out."

"You lean into her personal space." Max continued.

"You touch her." Luka points out, "A lot. Her shoulders, her hands."

"There was that time you heard the fire drill alarms and you tackled her to the floor and laid on top of her." Nino nodded along, "She asked someone to help her up because she thought you fell on her."

Adrien remained silent. They could see his eyes moving side to side, as if recalling the moments the spoke of. They watched as his cheeks turned red and his hands began to tremble.

"I think he's in shock." Nino whispered.

"I'll order smoothies." Max sighed.

"Let's give him 30 minutes or…if he speaks up first and then we'll talk to him more." Luka declared.

Nino and Max nodded, as they waited for Adrien to accept his feelings.

Adrien took a deep breath and walked up to Marinette.

"Hey, Mari." he waved, "Do you want to go to the Winter Dance with me?"

"Hey Adrien." she replied, "I can’t go with you, but I can save you a dance."

He smiled at her, "That sounds fun."

'That sucks, but I did ask her so close to the dance. She's proabably going with the girls as a group.'

"So, how did it go?" Nino pressed, after Mari had walked away.

"She said she would meet me there." He sighed, It's not a date, but she said she would save me a dance."

The trio looked towards Marinette confused.

Adrien, Nino, and Luka arrived together. They had been building up his confidence for the last couple days so he didn’t fumble his words.

"She's by the sodas." Luka said, spotting her, "She's by herself."

"Maybe the plans changed?" Nino suggested.

Adrien nodded and walked over, "Hey."

Marinette smiled, "Do you want to dance right now?"

He gulped, "I don’t mind."

Adrien looked up from his seat and caught sight of her, across the room.

'How could I have ruined the best thing that almost happened to me?'

Marinette was clinging to another guy's arm. He had dark hair and olive skin. She was smiling so brightly at him.

'I'd ask what he has that I don't, but he's taller than me. He looks more like a model than I do. She use to look at me that same way, years ago, but I guess I never realize there was a reason for it…….til now.'

"Mari, is everything okay?" Adrien asked, as she kept looking around him, "Uh, am I making you uncomfortable?

'Did I make her nervous? Was asking for a dance too much for her? Is she looking for the girls? Did they show up, seperately?'

"I'm fine. Sorry, Adrien. I'm just looking for my boyfriend; he should have been here by now." She smiled up at him, "I know you asked for a dance and I probably would be too busy to dance with you later. I'm glad I caught you before Damian got here, though."

Adrien wasn't sure how he kept on moving along to the dance. He felt like she was standing still and everything around him kept moving.

'She has a boyfriend? But, I-I just found out I like her and I…..'

As soon as the music had ended, Marinette had left him stranded in the middle of the dance floor.

"You okay?" Nino asked, taking a seat next to him.

"I-" Adrien began, but stopped as his voice came out strangled.

Luka reached over and wiped tears he hadn't even realized had fallen.

"We didn't know, Adrien." Luka spoke, " We never would have suggested-

Adrien shook his head, "No. You were right to tell me. I didn't know how I felt, but now I do. I'll remember before you call me an idiot, next time. Besides, I was her first dance."

'It's just the last one I'll ever have with her.'

BONUS:

Nino slapped his forehead as he watched Marinette run up and kiss another guy. Luka turned to see Adrien stranded on the dance floor.

'I knew him calling her "just a friend" for so long was gonna bite him in the ass someday.'

@maribat-calendar-events

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