Pool Scene AU, Pt 5
When Lena picks Kara up for dinner two days later, she opens the door to Karaâs building with an over hand grip. With her other hand tucked casually into the pocket of her long jacket, she casually leans against the doorâs edge with a smile so broad and so easy that Karaâs insides somehow loosen and tighten all at once. Lenaâs ease encourages Kara to relax, but the fact she shouldnât feel relaxed with a business mogul of Lenaâs caliber only makes her more anxious.
âHey,â Lena greets, still grinning.
Kara steps out onto the sidewalk, turning to keep Lena in her sights. She fidgets under Lenaâs gaze, adjusting her glasses with stiff motions.
âHey,â she says back, forcing a smile. If Lena notices her nerves, she doesnât show it.
Letting go of the door, Lena extends her hand. âYou ready?â
Awkwardly taking Lenaâs hand, Kara allows herself to be led to the car waiting patiently for them. Lena opens the door for her, allowing Kara to slip in first. As soon as Lena climbs in and shuts the door behind her, the driver pulls deftly into traffic, apparently already briefed on their destination.
âI thought you might enjoy Pacaâs tonight,â Lena tells her, as though sensing Karaâs thoughts. âTheir rooftop tables are to die for.â
Kara nods. âAll right.â
Green eyes flicker over Kara, ankle to head, all warm glow and gentle interest.
âYouâre lovely,â Lena says.
Kara nearly coughs at the unexpected earnestness in Lenaâs voice, but manages to recover. âTh-thank you. You too.â
That much is also in earnest. Where Kara had selected a salmon-colored dress (one that contoured to her body in a way that now makes her feel self-conscious), Lena looks comfortable yet striking in a cranberry jumpsuit. Her hair, which thus far Kara has only seen loose in luscious waves, is tucked into a sleek high ponytail that draws Karaâs eyes to a freckle on her neck. The halter neckline of the jumpsuit is deep, but it doesnât strike Kara as all that scandalous, now. Lena looks effortlessly elegant, and while Kara doesnât quite feel underdressed, she does feel as though she pales in comparison.
âDid Cat treat you all right this week?â Lena asks, her voice warm.
Grateful for a safe, familiar topic , Kara latches onto it swiftly. âYes, actually. More so than usualâŠâ Kara peers at Lena curious. âHow do you know Cat, actually? Your conversation in her office seemed more than just typical business.â
At this, Lena softens. âWe met when she still worked under Perry White at the Daily Planet. She did a piece on my family when I was about ten or soâŠ. From the moment we sat down for that first interview, I liked her. She was direct, and asked questions like I was a person, not just a child. So, when I was ready to come out publicly, there was only one person I trusted with the story.â
Kara blinks. âI had no idea.â
âThat Cat Grant has a heart?â Lene teases. âI guess you wouldnât, given the fact she doesnât even use your given name, but⊠she is, when she wants to be.â
The conversation remains safely superficial for the rest of the drive. When the car pulls to a stop, Kara glances out the window, and freezes. Beyond the glass is a sea of bodies, their silhouettes staggered in her vision by a continuous sparkle of flashing cameras. For now, they havenât turned towards their arrival, but Kara distantly knows that will change the moment Lena steps out of the car.
Her prediction proves true when Lena unfolds from her seat and stands just outside, completely unruffled by the cacophony of paparazzi calling for her attention. Her focus remains on Kara as she extends her hand to help Kara out of the vehicle. Kara takes her hand on autopilot, and stands on wooden legs, blinded by cameras and deafened by calls for her name.
She doesnât hear Lena call to her through the roaring in her ears until Lena steps in front of her, momentarily eclipsing the sea of photographers. Warm hands take Karaâs with a grounding squeeze. âYou okay?â Lena asks.
Kara swallows. âUm. Sorry. Itâs⊠I didnât expectâall this.â
Lenaâs features crease with understanding. âYou wanna go somewhere else?â
Shame clogs Karas cheeks. She does. But before she can decide whether to say so, Lena reaches past her to open the car door once more. âGet in,â Lena says, her voice gentle. Kara obeys without a word, and in seconds theyâre pulling away from the restaurant.
âSorry,â Kara croaks.
Lena smiles gently. âDonât be. Most people are eager to be seen with me, they almost always expect a flashy evening. I forget that scene isnât for everyone. I should have warned you ahead of time.â Green eyes regard her sparkling with each passing streetlight. âIs there anywhere else you have in mind?â
Karaâs thoughts flash to Chenâs, her favorite Chinese spot, but she doubted Lena would appreciate the greasy leather booths and cracked formica tables, especially not dressed as she is.
âNo, not really,â she replies.
Considering, Lena nods. âWell, I know a place thatâs a bit more low key. Ben?â she calls to the driver.
Without missing a beat, Ben nods. âYes maâam.â Kara waits for Lena to specify a destination, but the driver simply turns at the next light and heads back towards the parkway.
âWhere are we going?â Kara asks shyly.
Lena gives her a kind smile. âMy place,â she says forthright. âHope thatâs okay. Itâs probably the only place with a reasonable expectation of privacy.â
Kara blinks, trying her best not to look as terrified as she suddenly feels. âIsnât that a ways out?â
âHuh?â A beat of confusion crinkles Lenaâs brow before the connection clicks. âOh, no; not the manor. Much to far for daily use. I have an apartment uptown, near the wharf.â
Swallowing, Kara squirms nervously. âSo Cat sending me to the manorâŠâ
âHer idea of a good joke, I assume. On the both of usâshe knows I like to relax rather⊠freely.â Lenaâs smile turns devilish. âYou caught me on a good day.â
The thought of running into Lena on a bad day catches Kara unawares. Catâs temper is so frequent itâs lost most of its bite; Lena, on the other hand, exudes such an acute intensity that Kara could only imagine what a bad mood might look like.
âThat said,â Lena continues smoothly, âI could always take you home, if you prefer.â
Kara jolts, straightening upright in alarm. âWhat? Why?â
Lena tilts her head coyly. âI get the sense youâre not entirely comfortable,â she says, without judgement. She holds Karaâs gaze, not allowing her to look away. âItâs all rightâI wonât be offended.â
âNo!â Kara blurts quickly, only to quail under Lenaâs steady, knowing gaze. âI meanâokay, yes. You⊠make me nervous. Or ratherâŠâ Kara trails off.
Lena doesnât let her off the hook. âRatherâŠ?â
âI... I mean, Iâve made myself nervous⊠about how I feel when Iâm with you.â
She watches Lenaâs smile deepen, her neck reddening in an unexpected flush. âI see. Even so, if youâre uncomfortableâŠâ
âIâm not!â Karas says quickly. âI want to be here. The paparazzi was overwhelming, but⊠It hasnât run me off. And neither have you.â Kara smiles, genuinely and for the first time that night. âI want to see where this goes.â
Nodding slowly, Lena adjusts. âAll right. But to keep this low pressure, letâs set our expectations now: dinner and conversation. Thatâs it.â
Kara feels a sudden cloud of disappointment, but nods. âI guess Iâll have to look forward to date number two, then?â
Green eyes hold Karaâs in a steady gaze. âYes, you will.â
---
Lenaâs apartment is as high up as Kara imagined, providing a stunning view of the harbor, lit by the boats parked in its waters, and of the cityscape rising beyond the opposite shore. She accepts the glass of red wine Lena offers, hardly able to tear her eyes from the window.
âItâs amazing,â Kara murmurs.
Lena gives a chagrined sigh. âIt is. Unfortunately, I rarely get to enjoy it like this.â
âNo?â
âA company doesnât run itself,â she drawls. âPlus I naturally trend towards keeping myself busy.â
âShame,â Kara comments. âIf I had this view Iâd never leave it. In fact,â she announces broadly, turning to gesture to the lavish apartment around them. âI donât think Iâd ever leave this room.â
âCare to explore the kitchen?â Lena offers lightly. âI didnât plan on cooking tonight, so I canât guarantee whatâs on hand, but Iâm sure that I can whip something up.â
âSomethingâ turns out to be a rich buttery carbonara with fresh pasta and veggies. Conversation slows to a comfortable quiet interrupted only by the sound of their forks clinking against ceramic plates. Kara does her best to savor the meal, pacing herself to match Lenaâs speed to keep herself from inhaling it as quickly as possible. Sheâs surprised that Lena is a good cook, among all the other areas she seems to excel in.
âYouâre the total package,â Kara says with a smirk, reaching to place her empty plate on the coffee table in front of them. âGood cook⊠good swimmer⊠Fortune 500 CEO⊠hotâŠ.â
Lena laughs. âIâm good at sex too.â
Itâs as though the meal has bolstered Karaâs confidenceâshe blushes, but doesnât shrink from the topic.
âI believe you,â she declares, reclining back into the plush cushions. The sofa is surprisingly comfortable; for something so clean and expensive-looking, Kara had expected it to be hard as a rock.
Lena also relinquishes her plate to the coffee table, exchanging it for her wine glass. âIâm also an elite fencer. Or at least, I was. I try to keep my skills up, but thereâs not enough time in the day to run L-Corp and train like I used to.â
âYouâre also a chess master,â Kara added. When Lena lifts a dark eyebrow, Kara smirks. âI know how to google.â
âSo do I,â Lena teased back. âBut I wasnât able to find much about you beyond your LinkedIn profile. So, tell me. Who is Kara Danvers?â
A warmth spread through Kara, to receive Lenaâs interest. Not just in a physical sense, but on a personal level. She wants to know Kara, not just kiss herâor more.
âKara is⊠a sister,â she responds, casting through her mind for interesting facts about herselfâwhich suddenly seems an impossible task. âSheâs⊠adopted? Uh, likes animals, and--â
âAdopted? No way,â Lena gushed. âMe too!â
âOh, yeah!â Kara learned that as well in her googling. She tilts her head with an inviting smirk. âAnd howâd that work out for you?â
Lena barks a laugh, the sound sparking a wave of delight in Karaâs chest. âOh, canât complain, you know...â
âSame,â Kara agrees, chuckling. âI met my family when I was thirteen, and theyâve been amazing to me.â
Nodding, Lena shifts, folding one leg underneath her. Their knees touch, and Kara tries to keep her brain focused on the conversation and not the quarter-sized point of contact between them.
âI barely remember my mother,â Lena says. âAnd I never knew my father.â She pauses. âWell, I did, I just didnât find out until after he died.â
âOh?â Kara flounders a little, not quite understanding.
Realizing Karaâs confusion, Lena elaborates. âLionel was my father all along. He just didnât bother to tell me.â She shrugs. âI was the dirty little secret, hidden in plain sight.â
Her voice is smooth enough to feign indifference, but Kara sees a shadow in her gaze that belies a deep hurt that has yet to heal. Kara reaches out to place a hand on Lenaâs knee. âIâm sorryâŠâ
âItâs all right,â Lena says, dismissing the concern with a flippant shake of her head. âI lucked into a privileged life, regardless of who my father was.â
Kara frowns. âThat doesnât meanââ
âItâs all right,â Lena repeats, this time with a finality that tells Kara that pressing her sympathy would only serve to sour the mood. Kara sighs instead, nodding. But Lenaâs hand rests on hers where it still lay on her knee, so Kara leaves it where it is. âI saw you went to college here in National City?â
Kara accepts the new topic of conversation and launches into a series of stories about her early days away from home, which then progresses back in time to her time in Midvale, and then before that in Kansas before her parents passed. She might have felt self-conscious about monopolizing the conversation, were Lena not goading her on with warm laughter and mirthful giggles alongside her enticing questions to keep her going.
Sheâs just finishing recounting her first experience seeing the oceanââI grew up in the mid-west, I was not prepared for how big it was!ââwhen she yawns. It escapes against her will, broad and loud and completely unmistakable as anything else. Lenaâs chuckles dwindles to a close, though her smile lingers.
âSorryââ Kara started, only to have Lena wave it off.
âThe apology is mine,â her host says. Lenaâs voice is low, an alluring counterpoint to the glow in her eyes. âItâs late; Iâve kept you here far too long.â
âItâs not la-la-late,â Kara yawns again in spite of herself.
Lena chuckles, shaking her head. Her hair has long been left to flow over her shoulders, and now catches the light with glints of mahogany in its strands. âAnd before you protest further, Iâll remind you that only one of us answers to Cat in the morning.â
Kara grimaces at the thought. âTouche.â
She stands when Lena unfolds herself from the couch, hugging herself around the middle to keep herself from drawing Lena into her. âFor what, her mind has plenty of ideas, but none of them honoring the spirit of âdinner and conversationâ.
âThank you. Tonight was⊠tonight was great.â
âI agree,â Lena returns, her tone genuine. âAnd you had the right idea, I thinkâthis was far better than what Pacaâs would have been.â She strode on long legs towards the door, gathering Karaâs purse and jacket on the way. âI hope we can do this again sometime soon.â
Kara accepts her belongings when Lena chivalrously offers them, but perks up at Lenaâs unspoken invitation. âTomorrow?â she quips.
Lenaâs response in a bark of surprised laughter, which makes Kara blush only a little.
âIâm kidding,â she demurs, only to meet Lenaâs eye with puckish anticipation. âUnless?â
Lenaâs features soften into another apology, quashing Karaâs hopes. âI leave for Tokyo tomorrow afternoon. Iâm afraid I wonât be back until Sunday.â
Doing her best to remain playfully undeterred, Kara shrugged. âWell, if you need a rideâŠ.â
Another grin answers her, promising Kara that any further car rides would run the risk of ending far less chastely than tonight. âIâll keep you in mind.â
âPlease do.â
They gaze at each other for a long while, until the silence eventually urges Kara to take her leave. âI should go.â
âBen will take you home,â Lena tells her softly. Before Kara can squawk in indignation on his behalf, sheâs swiftly reassured. âHeâs extremely well-compensated, and he reassured me that watching the game with the doorman would be better than watching alone at home.â
Assuaged, Kara nods, then pauses. âWhat game?â
Lena shrugs. âHavenât a clue.â
They both burst into laughter, nearly giddy with mutual exhaustion. When Kara has barely caught her breath, it evaporates in her lungs when Lena leans in and presses a warm kiss to the corner of Karaâs mouth.
âGood night, Kara.â
See you soon, it promises.
âGood night.â
Iâll be waiting.














