#for mac

Kara finally made it inside and quietly walked through the halls, each one oozing a kind of coldness she couldn’t quite shake off. The mansion was grand, it looked very much like the people who lived there were wealthy and affluent. She saw different trinkets and items all laid out around the home itself, various people trying to pitch them to potential customers. Eventually, she made it to a large room upstairs devoid of anything save for frames of various sizes with all sorts of art. She watched over people’s shoulders as they rifled through the frames, but none of them really stood out. 

Until she came across a portrait of a family: a father and mother sitting in their respective armchairs, and a daughter and a son standing behind them. The man was a large figure, his features stern and intense. Beside him was a woman with dark blonde hair with pursed lips and a critical eye. The man behind him, who Kara guessed was the son, was a bald man with a full beard, his smirk apparent. Finally, Kara’s eyes landed on the younger brunette woman behind the sitting man, a small polite smile on her face. 

When she made a comment about the portrait, wondering aloud who they were, a gruff man came over and responded. 

The Luthors, he said. A corrupt family full of heathens and criminals. 

She took another glance at the bald man with his hand on his mother’s shoulder before looking away. 

The customer continued to rifle through the portraits until they reached the end with a simple portrait of the daughter. This was a closer image of the woman now sitting on the armchair, her hands folded on her lap as she looked straight ahead. The small, polite smile was there—very Mona Lisa, if Kara thought about it—yet there was something else about her appearance. She was wearing a forest green dress that further emphasized the light green of her eyes. Her dark, almost raven hair was down in beautiful waves, and her lips painted red. 

Simply, she was a vision, and Kara was amazed at how well the artist was able to capture the woman’s beauty. Yet there was something off about her image: a sadness, a sullenness in her expression, despite the smile. 

Kara understood. Or, as much as she could with a painting of a woman she’d never met  before. 

“Who’s she?” she asked aloud, her fingers delicately fiddling with the frame. 

“Lena Luthor. She’s the bastard daughter.” She frowned, not liking the way he was so dismissive of this woman. 

“How’d you know that?” 

The man stared at her, his gaze quickly souring. “Learn to read a newspaper, kid. Now, are you gonna buy or what?”  

Resolute in wanting to protect this woman in the portrait, Kara eventually haggled him down to a measly $50, a far cry from the $150 that he’d originally asked for. Kara had an inkling that she’d aggravated him enough that he was ready to let her and the portrait go. 

She quickly handed over the last of her bills from her pocket and hoisted the frame of the Luthor daughter out of the estate and into a taxi where it took most of the legroom of the backseat. 

When Kara hooked the frame on her wall just to the right of her t.v. console, she did so with pride and satisfaction, placing her hands on her hips in appreciation. It had been an ordeal getting the frame up the stairs, but she’d done it without tearing or messing up the frame or the painting. It wasn’t like the frame itself was terribly immense or unwieldy, but there was something about maintaining the beauty in it that Kara forced herself to be as careful as possible—fighting every atom in her body to not be her regular clumsy self. Luckily, the universe seemed to have been generous with her that day. 

“Ok, Lena Luthor. Welcome to your new home.” She laughed to herself, feeling silly for talking to herself. Her inquisitive mind typed in Luthor and found news articles of Lionel and Lillian Luthor coming into power in business and real estate and creating the Luthor empire, by any means necessary. How their son Lex was poised to inherit said empire until he was discovered to be the serial arsonist that had wreaked havoc in Metropolis, setting multiple buildings ablaze in the course of a short month, injuring dozens and killing a handful of tenants. 

There weren’t many words written about Lena in these articles, mostly mentioning that she had been residing out of the country in London when much of the crimes took place. Her eyes landed on some comments blaming Lena for not being responsible enough to stop her brother’s actions, and that was when she closed her browser down. 

She read about Lena’s ways to distance herself from her family as much as possible, staying far away from the limelight and the lavish lifestyle that the rest of her family participated in. She was doing some type of medical research or engineering of some sort, yet reports of her were rather sparse and elusive. 

She decided that was enough for her, and despite how her fingers itched to know more, Kara shut her laptop down. Strange as it may have been, she wanted to prove her faith in the woman—this stranger. She decided then and there that she’d learned all she wanted to know and that she was going to leave that woman alone and appreciate the portrait for what it was. For all Kara cared, the less she knew about this woman, the better. 

“I’ll stop looking,” she said aloud, as if a silent gesture of good will towards the portrait. “Pinky promise.” 

—

Kara found herself spending the following couple of weeks after her impulsive purchase greeting Lena throughout the day. She’d wish the portrait a good morning when she first walked into the living area and when she was on her way out the door to work. Then she’d greet the portrait when she came home and a good night when she got ready for bed. All the while, she giggled to herself as she did so—both feeling silly and endeared at the thought of connecting with the woman in the portrait. It certainly helped to make her feel a little less lonely, especially after Alex had moved out to the suburbs with her wife so they could start a family. 

Lena was the same as ever in her formal pose, a small smile on her face that Kara had quickly known and loved. The portrait became a highlight of her day, and Kara couldn’t help but smile at that. Every night, she hoped that Lena was doing well wherever she was, that she was safe and cared for and loved. That someone was making her smile the way Kara smiled at her portrait. 

Sometimes, she’d imagine how Lena in the real world was doing. What she was working on, what her job was. What she liked, what got on her nerves. What peeved her, what made her laugh so hard it gave her hiccups. If she had a lover, if she had a pet, if she thought about where these portraits were of her family. If she was happy. 

Kara hoped she was happy. 

—

“Kara, why do you have some random woman’s portrait on your wall?” 

Her back stiffened and she stopped searching for her scarf in her closet when she heard her sister’s voice. She’d completely forgotten that nobody had been to her apartment in a month, so that meant that nobody knew about Lena. Finding the red cashmere scarf, she quickly wrapped it around her neck and walked out of her bedroom with her head held high. 

“Got her at an estate sale.” 

“That doesn’t explain anything.” Alex was staring at her now, one hand on her hip as she quirked a brow expectantly. Kara only rolled her eyes and tried her best to usher her sister out of the door. 

“It does! Now come on, I thought you didn’t wanna be late to the movies.” 

With a quick glance back at the portrait, she mouthed a see you later! to the portrait before closing her door. 

—

When it was Kara’s turn to host game night with her friends a couple of weeks after Alex first saw the portrait, she’d been nervous about what her friends would say. She’d even said so as much to Lena. 

“I just don’t want them to make fun of you!” she reasoned aloud, only to be met with the same silence that she was always met with when she talked to the portrait. She shook her head and laughed ruefully to herself. “God, I’m talking to myself.”

Unsurprisingly, each one of her friends made some type of comment about the portrait that ranged from comments she expected like wow she’s hot (Nia), she’s very pretty but she looks a little sad, doesn’t she? (Kelly), is this an oil painting? (Brainy), to one she should have expected, yet didn’t, why do you have a portrait of Lena Luthor on your wall, Kara? (James). 

All eyes were on her when James asked his question, and she opened her mouth even if no sound came out. Finally, thankfully, “Uh, estate sale?” 

Their eyes all then turned to James when he pressed forward. “Do you even know who the Luthors are?” 

Like a tennis match, the rest of them turned their sights back on her. 

“Yes.” 

A volley. 

“So why would you support that family?” 

Another volley. 

“I’m not supporting her family.” 

Another. 

“Her portrait says otherwise.” 

Another. 

She clenched her jaw. She knew where he was coming from; he’d covered the news during his time in Metropolis when this was happening. He was there. Yet, she didn’t believe in his blanket judgment, especially over Lena. 

“She’s not her brother, James. She’s not the one who committed the crimes. I’m going to judge her on the merits of her character instead of sweeping her in with the rest of her family.” 

He pursed his lips, though she could tell there was a part of him that didn’t approve. 

Yet before he could try to push her, Alex clapped her hands. “Alright, we can listen to this nonsense or you guys can lose to me in Pictionary for the third time in a row.” 

The tension dissipated, mostly, and the rest of the group seemed all too eager to move on. Alex threw her a reassuring glance and Kara smiled at her sister, happy for the assist. The rest of the night went on without a fuss, and Kara couldn’t be happier. James would sometimes stare at her, his mind definitely thinking, but she pretended not to see. 

Eventually, she was alone again, cleaning up the apartment before plopping on the couch where she had a perfect view of Lena and her small smile. 

“Sorry about James,” she said. “He means well, but…it’s personal to him, I guess. But I meant what I said earlier. I wouldn’t ever judge you for what your family had done. I can only imagine what you’ve been going through all this time. I hope wherever you are, you’re taking care of yourself. And people are kind to you. I think you deserve that kindness in your life.” 

She yawned, and further sunk into the couch, pulling the small blanket over her and letting sleep take over. 

—

Over the course of the following year, Lena’s portrait became a permanent fixture on her wall. Her friends lost interest over time and Kara sighed in relief. Even James finally let the topic go. 

She continued to greet Lena in the mornings and at night. She talked to her silent companion as she recounted her days, her work, and the things that she experienced. Lena became a sounding board as Kara processed through facets of her life. It was like talking to a plant, Alex had observed once, and Kara had agreed. But Kara knew that in her heart of hearts, it wasn’t like talking to a plant at all because it felt like she was talking to Lena the person and not the portrait. She kept that thought to herself though, not sure how her sister or her friends would take it. 

In some ways, she considered Lena’s portrait as a friend. 

And, like always, she wished good health and happiness for Lena, wherever she may be. 

—

One day, on a day like any other, Kara’s life changed in a way she never would have guessed or anticipated. 

Because on that day, Kara would meet Lena Luthor. 

She was covering for a colleague to do the technology beat about Spheerical Industries.

Kara was on her way to freshen up just before the press release when she collided with a woman with black hair and green eyes and red lips.

“Oh! I’m so sorry—I can be, uh, very clumsy,” she said, grabbing hold of the woman’s arms to keep her steady.

The woman looked up just as her own hands grabbed onto Kara’s elbows. The two of them stared at each other. 

“Quite alright,” the woman said, a reassuring smile on her face. “Are you okay?”

“Never better,” she offered, her mouth dry when her mind caught up to her brain. In front of her was the woman she'd been having a one-sided conversation for over a year. This time, her hair was pulled up in a low bun and she was wearing a collared satin shirt with a pencil skirt. “Uh, Kara.”

She'd moved her hands off of the woman before offering one to shake. The woman placed her hand in Kara’s, arched her brow slightly just as her mouth slanted with a curious smile. “Lena.”

There, a confirmation of what Kara both hoped and dreaded. 

“It’s, ah, nice to meet you. Sorry about the collision.”

“No harm done. Now, are you here for the press release?”

Kara took her free hand and lifted her badge up. “Guess so.” 

“See you inside then,” Lena said. It wasn't until that moment that Kara realized that they'd still been holding hands, their handshake extending longer than either of them seemed to realize. 

“Right, yeah. Sorry about the—” she gestured in the air between them. Yet Lena only smiled, the curious smile widening to an amused one. The image of it wrapped Kara’s heart in a vice grip when she realized that her mind easily replaced the small smile in the portrait with the livelier one in person. 

She watched as Lena walked away and headed back into the main space where the press release was set. Kara took a deep breath and slowly curled her fist, savoring the remnants of warmth on all the points where their skin touched. 

Lena was every bit as Kara imagined her to be. No, actually, she was more and better! Her imagination paled in comparison to whoever this woman was who stood in front of her—who so generously gave Kara the time of day. 

She groaned to herself, turning around so she could rest her head on the wall. 

“Shoot.”

—

Kara’s desk at work was full of flowers courtesy of L.L. from Spheerical Industries a day after her article was released. She snagged the card out of the biggest bouquet just as Nia and James walked in, hiding it in her palm and quickly pocketing it. 

Nia whistled before she spoke up. “Someone’s got a secret admirer.” 

“It’s not like that.”

“Who’s it from?” James asked. 

“Uh, Spheerical Industries sent them, I think,” she offered with a scratch on her forehead. “Guess they liked my article.”

She didn't meet their eyes as she started to move the bouquets off of her desk. Nia eventually left as soon as Snapper started yelling for his reporters. James followed suit, but not until he took another sweep of her office until his gaze landed on her. She grabbed hold of her pad and pen before bypassing him at the door. 

When she went home, she brought the largest bouquet with her before giving away the rest to her colleagues and random strangers. 

She placed the vase on her counter and sank into her couch staring straight up at the portrait of Lena with her small smile. 

For the first time in all the time she had the portrait, she thought about bringing the frame down. 

—

Kara did her best to steer clear of Lena Luthor, maintaining as much professionalism as possible between them. Though it seemed that her best laid plans were simply that: plans. 

She had been standing at Noonan’s for their afternoon cinnamon buns when she spotted a familiar brunette woman standing just two people ahead of her. She quickly ducked, trying and failing to hide behind the tiny elderly woman in front of her who seemed to struggle reading the menu in her hand. 

Said elderly lady turned around and squinted at her. “Hi, dear, can you do me a favor and tell me what they have on the daily specials up on the board. I can’t quite see what’s up there.” 

“Uh…sure, okay.” She grimaced despite herself before offering the older woman a quick rundown of the specials. Kara went on to list the specials on the board and ended up ordering for her and the lady who thanked her profusely for her help. So distracted by this older woman that she had momentarily forgotten about Lena Luthor and her presence until she heard a velvety voice call for her. 

“Kara? Is that you?” 

She stilled in her spot and took a deep breath before pasting on a bright smile, as genuine as she could muster, when she turned to face Lena. 

“Lena, hi,” she greeted as she anxiously pushed her glasses up. 

“You were quite the Samaritan back there,” Lena said, motioning towards the older woman who had taken residence at the end of a long table. 

“Oh, you know,” she said with a quick dismissive wave of her hand. “I was just…trying to help.” 

Lena tilted her head, those sharp eyes studying her. So Kara ducked her head before glancing back at the counter to see if her order had been made knowing it hadn’t. 

“So, uh, my desk was overflowing with flowers,” Kara started to say, making small talk. So accustomed to talking to her Lena—a strange thought that she did not have the time to investigate at this moment—that she couldn’t help when the words came tumbling out. “Wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” 

Lena grinned, as if sharing a secret with her, and Kara couldn’t help the way her heart parachuted from her chest and into her belly, the swoop so exhilarating to watch. The portrait’s smile was beautiful and ethereal, but nothing would beat the shades of smiles and grins and joy that appeared on Lena’s face in real time. “I wouldn’t, no. But if I did, I bet it might have to do with your refreshingly even-keeled and fair assessment of our new technology.” 

“Right,” she intoned, Kara nodding along as she got swept up in Lena’s charming orbit. “But you don’t know anything about that.” 

Lena shook her head, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes and Kara knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was a goner. For what, she wasn’t even sure herself. But whatever Lena Luthor was selling, she was buying. 

The baristas eventually called for the both of them and they walked in tandem as they picked up their order. 

In retrospect, Kara knew this was the one exit strategy the universe had given her to take—her one shot of coming out of this unscathed so she could proceed with her life as she had been.

Yet, Kara threw that escape plan out of the window as soon as she opened her mouth and asked Lena, hey what are you doing right now? Wanna take a walk to the park and try out this cinnamon bun? It’s the best in the city. 

To which Lena would respond with, I suppose I can spend a little while out of the office. Do you mind if I just text my assistant? 

She shook her head and urged Lena to please, go ahead. 

And that was that. 

—

Kara went home with a spring in her step and a skip in her heart after having spent a part of her afternoon with Lena. She walked into her apartment with a wistful sigh until she was faced with the portrait on the wall. 

“Oh, Lena,” she groaned as she walked towards the living room and plopped down on the couch. “This is weird, isn’t it? I never expected to meet the real you. Did you know she’s so smart? That you’re so smart? And so charming and just so good. You’re nothing like the things people have written about you. I mean, I could already tell that, but it’s nice to see it with my own eyes.” 

She shook her head, so many confusing thoughts swirling in her mind. 

“How do I tell her that you exist?” she asked aloud, a contemplative frown painted on her features. “What if I just…don’t?” 

Kara stared at the portrait and then shook her head. “No, you’re right. She deserves to know. It’s weird. But, for now, you’re going to have to come down. Sorry.” 

With a heavier heart than she thought possible, Kara took the portrait down and gingerly placed it by the far bookshelf until she figured what to do with her. 

Then, she decided she would tell Lena once she sorted out how to do so. 

—

Unfortunately for Kara, she never figured out how to tell Lena. 

In her defense, their friendship blossomed swiftly, Kara chasing after it to catch up. It started with regular trips to Noonan’s and taking walks after. Then to visits at each other’s offices, always with snacks in tow. Then there were the takeouts for late dinners, usually at Lena’s office. 

Before Kara knew it, Lena Luthor wasn’t just a woman in a portrait she bought in an estate sale nor was she just a lead engineer in Spheerical Industries, she was Kara’s friend. 

Lena used to just be someone that Kara wished was safe and cared for and loved. But now, she had the power to be a source of all those things for Lena: safety, care, and love. 

So Kara never got around to telling Lena. She’d gotten careless, pushed her luck to its limit, stuck her head in the sand until it was much too late. 

Which meant that the truth revealed itself out of Kara’s control. 

—

She’d invited Lena to her apartment, letting her know that she had a pretty healthy library of fiction and nonfiction alike that Lena was welcome to peruse after they’d spent hours talking about ways they passed the time with books and movies. 

So Saturday morning came and Lena appeared at Kara’s doorstep with an offering of bagels of morning cinnamon buns from Noonan’s as well as two steaming cups of coffee. Best of all, she presented it with a bright smile of her own, one that Kara never got tired of. 

“Come in,” Kara said, a bright smile of her own as she pulled the door back to let the engineer in. 

“Cool place,” Lena offered as her eyes swept the space. 

“Thanks. It used to be my sister’s apartment back in the day. The power of nepotism, you know what I mean?” 

Lena snorted and cut her a look that made Kara giddy inside. 

They camped out of the coffee table as they chatted, mouths stuffed with delectable carbs. 

“Feel free to peruse the library while I go pick up some of the books I have on my nightstand, I’ll be right back.” 

Kara hummed to herself as she quickly rifled through her stack of books by her bed before piling them in her arms. 

However, as she walked back to the living room, she almost dropped them where she stood when she found Lena standing in front of the portrait. 

Lena twisted her head to face Kara, her eyes brimming with tears even as her face steeled in anger.

“I can explain! It’s not what you thi—”  She took a step forward, but Lena took a step back and Kara’s heart sank, a cinderblock tied around it. 

Lena shook her head, an errant tear escaping before she quickly wiped it. “I don’t know what cruel joke you’re playing here, but I never thought it’d come from you.” 

“Please, Lena,” she begged, attempting to take another step forward. “I can explain. It was—there was a sale a couple of years ago. Like, um, it was in the mansion on the edge of the city, and—I didn’t think I’d meet you or anything. And it just happened, but—” 

Kara was gesticulating wildly, wanting to put her words in the order she wanted them just so she could explain properly. But the panic that engulfed her at the thought of losing Lena tied her tongue, her words coming out a garbled mess. 

“If you’re some kind of Luthor fanatic—” 

“No!” she cried out. “Please, Lena. I’m not—you’re getting this all wrong!” 

Kara tried to take another step forward, but Lena stepped back again, a dance they were doing six feet apart. Lena rushed to the door without a glance back and slammed the door on her way out. 

Kara covered her face with both hands and screamed before the tears flowed past her fingers. 

—

Kara persisted for three weeks to reach Lena, but to no avail. 

Her access to Spheerical Industries was revoked and all of her messages were left on read. 

She’d sent in one last message, a final plea where I just want to explain myself. I’ll tell you everything you want to know and I’ll answer any questions. And after that, I’ll leave you alone and never bother you ever again. So whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. 

—

She hadn’t wanted to accept defeat, but even she knew that if Lena ever considered giving her the time of day, perhaps incessantly reaching out was not the best move.

“She’ll come around,” Alex offered when Kara took the trip out to her sister’s suburban home just to get away from the city. She nodded along, but she felt the hollowness in those words. “And if she doesn’t, well, she’s an idiot.” 

She smiled weakly, and rested her head on Alex’s shoulder, accepting the loving pat on her thigh. “Yeah.” 

At the end of the day, she returned back to her apartment, trudging up the stairs one step at a time. As she reached the landing, she almost lost her footing when she discovered Lena leaning against her door, a contemplative frown on her face. 

Lena stood on her feet, pushing herself from the door, and stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets. Kara wasn’t sure what to do, but she was half tempted to walk straight back down and take a cab all the way to Alex’s house and hide. 

“Hi.” 

Kara watched her carefully, afraid to make any sudden movements. She jutted her chin in greeting. “Um, hi.” 

“You weren’t answering your phone, so I thought—”

Kara pawed at her pocket and found two missed calls from Lena. 

“Not that I’m not happy to see you,” she said as she took a few tentative steps closer. “But what are you doing here?” 

“You said you’d explain yourself.” 

“Oh. Right. Okay, yeah. D-did you wanna come in?” 

Wordlessly, Lena nodded. Kara then rushed to her door, fumbling as she tried to open the door. It took a few tries as she used her body to shield herself from Lena watching her miss the keyhole a few times. 

They stood by the entrance, Lena hovering by the door as if ready to bolt. She’d hated that the one and only time Lena got a chance to share her space, it had caused this chasm between them. 

“Can I get you something to drink?” 

“No, that’s fine.” 

“Okay, I’ll just…I’ll just get myself some water.” 

She opened the fridge door and took a deep breath, taking a few precious seconds to herself as she attempted to center her breath, appreciating the cool air from the refrigerator to help with her nerves. She took the pitcher out and poured herself a glass of water. Lena, in the meantime, had moved from the foyer to the opposite end of the kitchen island. 

She shakily laughed to herself, awkward and uncomfortable. “I don’t—I’m not sure where to start.” 

“From the beginning?” Lena offered, her voice soft, kind. 

“Um, okay. So I got your portrait from an estate sale a couple of years ago…” As soon as she spoke the words, they continued to pour out, so she explained everything from the estate sale and finding the portrait of Lena’s family before finding Lena’s portrait. Then how she reverently placed it on her wall and began greeting it like a friend.

How it became a source of relief just after her sister had moved to the suburbs and Kara felt lonely without her sister immediately available like she’d always been. How Kara had appreciated the safety and comfort that her portrait provided, like a friend. How she never thought to meet Lena, and stopped looking at information about her, wanting to give Lena the privacy she deserved after having gone through a rabbit hole learning about the rest of her family. How their meeting at the Spheerical Industries had irrevocably changed something in Kara’s life. How she’d talked to the portrait for some guidance before putting it away and letting that suffice even knowing that it wasn’t enough. How their friendship was something that she treasured and that she was sorry for having kept this piece of information to herself and costing her one of the most important people in her life. 

“I should’ve told you from the start,” Kara said. “But how do I tell someone I just met that not only did I know who she was, but that I have a portrait of her and basically talked to her portrait doppelganger on a regular basis. That I imagined what her life was like instead of the rumors being spread in the news about her.” 

“What did you imagine for me?” 

She shrugged, slumping back on the back counter, her arms drawn around herself. “That you liked your job. Before I knew you were officially working at Spheerical Industries, I just imagined you doing odd jobs here and there. It changed every day, depending on how I felt, but that you always liked it. Then you’d come home to a lazy cat who only liked you. That you spent time with your friends on game nights that you liked to host.” 

“That sounds nice. Definitely better than the life I’d been leading before.” 

She swallowed, feeling more vulnerable and exposed with the following words than any of the things she’d revealed before. “But above all else, I just imagined that you were happy and loved. That’s all I ever wished for you.” 

Though there were still hints of uncertainty and caution in those green eyes, Kara found that Lena was no longer as standoffish as she’d been when she first came in. “Why?” 

Kara shrugged again. “Because I saw a bit of myself when I looked at you. I guess I wanted the both of us to make it, you know?” 

Lena seemed baffled by this, the tension between them shifting ever so slightly that Kara felt okay taking a deep breath as Lena seemed to mull her explanations. 

“How much did the portrait go for?” 

Surprised at the turn of their conversation, Kara momentarily blanked until, “Uh. Fifty dollars.” 

That surprised Lena, her eyes widening slightly. “You paid fifty dollars for a portrait of me?” 

“I haggled the guy down for $150. That sounds bad, sorry.” 

“I didn’t think it’d even go for any money at all,” Lena huffed. 

Silence enveloped them further, so Kara figured that their time together was coming to a close. So she took one more deep breath and pushed off the counter so she stood directly across the kitchen island from Lena. “I’m sorry I never told you. I didn’t mean to keep it a secret, but it became easier to pretend until it was too late. I promise to leave you alone if that’s what you want. You can keep the portrait, too. Whatever will make you feel most comfortable.” 

She expected many things to happen, but Kara didn’t expect Lena to slump down on the bar stool beside her. 

“That’s not—I don’t want you out of my life, Kara,” she huffed. “You’ve been the best thing to come into my life in a long time, so I freaked out when I saw that not only did you have a secret portrait of me, but that it was something that reminded me of the life I’d tried so hard to escape. Those portraits weren’t exactly fun memories.” 

“I’m sorry, Lena—” she started to say, but Lena just put her hand up to stop her.  

“No, I’m sorry. I should’ve let you explain yourself. But I panicked and thought the worst of you because of the insecurities that I carry. So I’m sorry, too, for what it’s worth.” 

Emboldened by the words that she was hearing from Lena, she quickly walked around the island and took residence in the bar stool right beside Lena. 

“So are we…good?” she asked, her tone cautiously hopeful.

Lena’s face split into a toothy smile, and Kara was struck with how enamored she was with all facets of Lena’s smile and joy. 

“I always thought your smile in the portrait was nice, but I have to tell you the real thing blows it out of the water.” 

“Charmer,” Lena commented, even as she ducked her head. 

She cleared her throat. “So what now?” 

“I think it’ll take some getting used to knowing that you have that portrait of me, but I guess if there was anybody I'd trust to ever have bought it, I’m glad it was you.” 

Her brows shot up to her hairline. “Really?” 

“Yeah, really.” Lena’s features relaxed and she laughed slightly, placing a hand on Kara’s knee. “I missed you.” 

Unbidden, Kara’s eyes brimmed with the threat of tears, even as she smiled up at Lena. “God, I missed you, too. So much.” 

Lena raised her hand and used the back of her hand to wipe the single tear that managed to escape from the corner of Kara’s eye. 

“Sorry.” 

Kara shook her head and offered her best smile, her hand coming up to cover Lena’s. “Water under the bridge.” 

—

The portrait stayed facing the wall in Kara’s apartment for another year until she and Lena finally moved in together. 

She’d been given the blessing to put it up in her office, Kara’s surprise so apparent on her face that Lena could only roll her eyes. Kara showed her appreciation by showering Lena with kisses that the brunette woman was all too happy to indulge in. 

When they got engaged a year after that, Lena surprised Kara with an appointment to get their portraits done together. Kara had laughed, hearty and infectious, before she took Lena in her arms and asked her why do this if portraits were bad memories? 

Because, Lena would respond, you knew me and you loved me before you even met me because of that portrait. So what better way to celebrate? 

Kara only kissed her fiancée with glee. 

The portrait of the two of them with identical smiles hung beside the first one. Those two portraits would then be accompanied by a third one of them at their wedding.