I ALWAYS WANTED MORE
kara zor el x sugar baby!reader
❜୧ about: kara's restless. her life may seem perfect, but she feels aimless and empty until her father zor-el sends her on a business errand, and she ends up meeting you. you're the first person that doesn't cave for her, but she sees something in you that makes her want to earn your submission. the question is will you give into her proposal?
❜୧ wc: 6.5k
❜୧ warnings: implied sub!reader, and dom!kara but um, not many this chapter, mentions of loss but that's about it. only slightly proof-read as always but i'll try to fix anything i find.
❜୧ an: this is a long boy by my standards but i hope y'all enjoy. it may feel slightly out of character for her since it's an au but i tried. this series will be a slow burn of a reader who wants to give in, but feels too stubborn to do so, but i won't make you wait too long.
❜୧ translation: inah - daughter, kirla - stop, zih ukr - yes father, ieiu - mother, sejehb - cousin, kir chahv - little one (taken from various forums and the kryptonain dictonary online). as per the italian full translations at the end.
Slender fingers drum incessantly on the glass table-top, and Kara sees from the corner of her eye that her father rubs his temple in frustration. She doesn’t stop until his voice rings out clear in the near empty board room.
“Inah.” He says sharply, “Kirla.”
Her fingers slowly stop, a sigh escaping her lips as they do. “Zih ukr.” She drones listlessly as she eyes the time.
She knows she shouldn’t be so impatient with him, after all he doesn’t call her in for things unless she has to, allowing her to be hands on enough to truly be his heir and free enough to enjoy being a rich heiress. The problem? Kara doesn’t necessarily enjoy being an heiress at all. Perhaps how it allows her to move around this planet with little restriction, but even then…
“This meeting is important.” He chides her, and she meets his gaze now. “It is important that well on Earth we do not forget the other planets.” She refrains from rolling her eyes. She wants to tell him that she never forgets about space, but he knows that.
“I know.” She says. “If it were up to me I’d be in space more often. So why this? Why now? I didn’t ask for this…” Her meaning is clear even though she doesn’t say it.
His expression softens, the frustration giving way to guilt. “I know.” He reminds softly. “But it was the only way Kara.” She looks away from him when his eyes become sad and grief filled in that way they do, because that look she cannot take. “I miss Krypton too. We all do.” He reminds firmly.
She refrains again from saying that she doubts this. Her uncle Jor-El certainly doesn’t. Kal too young of a babe to know what Krypton was like truly when they left. “Then why could we not just—” die there. It’s left to linger in the space between them, and he looks about to answer, although she knows what he will say.
They both hear footsteps and the voice of the secretary guiding someone their way. So he stands, straightens himself out, and gives her an expectant look. “We will finish this later.” He says. His voice slipping back into that of an all powerful business man and not her father.
She exhales, because she knows that they won’t. They never do, and the grief that remains in her chest feels suffocating for a moment, before she straightens her back and slips into the other version of herself. Kara El, the in control heiress, and not the Kara Zor-El who yearns for a planet that no longer exists.
The doors open, and a burly man is chiming out: “Zor-El!” His accent slipping out and then Kara understands why she’s here. “So glad you agreed to help!” He says as her father shakes his hand. “And Kara. A pleasure to meet you.”
She shakes his hand before they all sit down again. Kara only half listens as the two men speak. She scribbles down on her sheet of paper the important things: space mining, dead planet with a valuable core still in tact, clearing a path of ownership, shares, yellow sun. When a lapse in the conversation comes Kara finally speaks up.
“I’ve never heard of this planet before, and I doubt it exists in any current maps. How are we meant to clear this path for you?” Her father nods in agreement, and to her surprise the man’s face lights up as if this is the easy part.
“It’s admittedly pretty far,” he begins, “but I was alerted the other day that a human has found a map but more importantly the guide key required to make the journey. Once you have it we can verify it.”
“The humans will only care for the map of course.” Her father adds. “They won’t realize the alien tech. It’ll be easy for us to retrieve it from the University you told me about.”
And then they’re ironing out details, and Kara goes back to only half listening. She knows without asking that she’ll be the one to make said journey. Her cousin too inexperienced with space travel yet to do it himself, and she knows that she’ll likely be sent to get the guide.
She’s eager to go really, to get off this planet she still kind of hates, and her father can tell. When the other man leaves she looks up, letting her pen thud against the paper. “So what sweaty unsociable nerd will I have to sweet talk to get what we want?”
Her father chuckles as he passes her the tablet, and her eyes go wide, “you might find said nerd interesting.” He teases as he heads off.
Kara gets Gary to brief her on the way, her father already looking into you, and the more she learns the more she’s mildly intrigued. Mainly because you study archaeology and space, an interesting combination in the eyes of many, and her eyes ghost to your masters thesis: The Importance of Space on Historical Artifacts.
She’s more surprised when she learns that you’re only two years younger than her. “In debt from what your father pulled.” Gary adds. “Extremely so.”
Kara chuckles. “With that much academia I’d say so.”
Gary joins in her laughter as they drive, and Kara prepares herself to make the same pitch she always makes. What she doesn’t expect is you to look so pretty. It makes her pause momentarily at your door. You’ve got your head buried deep inside of old books, hair done back, and mugs strewn across your desk.
She sees the way your shoulders sit tense, hear the pounding of your heartbeat likely due to so much of what she can smell is old coffee, and spots the deep bags under your eyes when you look up at the sound of her knock. Your eyes go wide when you register who she is, something she’s used to, but you don’t stand.
“Hi,” you say tentatively, your voice a lot softer than she thought it’d be, “what can I do for you?”
She gives you that businesswoman smile she’s perfected over the years of being her, and walks further into your small office, although when she looks around she frowns. It’s merely a closet of a place, but she can see paintings and your degrees hanging on your walls.
“I’m here on behalf of my family’s company,” she says expecting that to be enough for you to spring into action. You merely wait for her to continue. “We’re interested in your recent findings.” She presses.
That seems to click with you, and again Kara expects you to welcome her with open arms. Everyone does. They know what the El family can do, and they’re always eager to capitalize on it.
“Oh.” Is all you say. “What about it?” She can tell your eyes ghost back towards your books as if you rather be paying attention to them, and that catches her off guard too.
“We were hoping to look at the map and artifact you found.” Now you stop, and when you look up at her you’re frowning. She expected interest, excitement even. “You’d of course be compensated handsomely. We’d consider it a loan of course and pay you for your time as a,” she shrugs, “consultant.”
You stare at a her. “No.” You say and turn back to your books.
Kara stands there off kilter for a moment and she’s not sure she likes it. No? Did you just say no to her? “Pardon?” She asks, and it makes you look back up at her.
“I’m not lending out a valuable artifact to some rich capitalist. I don’t know you’ll handle it with care.” Her eyes widen. “Money doesn’t get you everything.” You mutter, and then she smirks.
Because this she knows. The resentment some have, rightfully so she thinks, for the rich. “We have very skilled experts and would take any precautions you might have.” You don’t pay her any mind, but she can see your jaw tick. “You don’t like me do you?” She pushes.
You shrug. “I have no feelings for you either way. Just annoyed you’re cutting into my time. You won’t change my mind.” You say bluntly, and Kara resists the laughter that bubbles up in her throat.
“Everyone has a price. Name yours. A student like you…” You bristle at her words, and your eyes meet hers again with a new found intensity.
“I won’t be bought.” You say. “I’m sure the university will be more than willing to pass it along after I’m done.”
“It is rather time sensitive—” She begins to explain.
“—don’t care.” You cut her off. “Now leave please.”
She falters because she’s never been treated like this before and she sort of likes it. There’s something so boring about everyone giving into her without her even trying that’s made Kara restless for years. She’s known this, has gone searching for people to make her feel something deeper, but every warm body has ended the same.
But you, you have this stubborn look to you that Kara can’t help but enjoy. It makes her feel normal for once. “Alright.” She says, because even if you throw her off her game she still came here to succeed.
She studies the art on your walls as she takes out her phone, pulls up the University dean’s phone number that her father forwarded and calls him. He picks up almost instantly, and he’s quickly giving her the response she expected from you. He’s enthusiastic. He’s giving her reassurances that anything her family wants they’ll get, and she merely says:
“We’d like to borrow the map and artifact your promising PhD candidate found. Given our clients work in the space sector they have an interest in gleaning from it what they can.” She can hear your heart pounding as she speaks. “It’ll be temporary, a week most likely, and then it’ll be returned to you with a hefty amount of compensation.”
He stutters for a moment. “Said PhD candidate is currently doing important work with it, given she was the one to find it on her expedition.” His voice wavers.
“Understood of course, and I assure you that whatever they may glean from it information wise will be shared.” She looks at you when she says this and you scoff at her. As if the dean can hear your scoff over the phone he’s quick to respond.
“And I take it you had no luck convincing her?” He sighs. “If you wouldn’t mind passing the phone I’ll straighten this out. Of course we will accommodate you…” Kara grins triumphantly as she passes you the phone, and your eyes go wide as you take it.
She can see the fight in you, in the way your eyes narrow at her, and you’re instantly arguing. “Sir, I realize the power they hold but we have protocols! I just got my hands on this thing and I’m already making progress—”
“—and they are wealthy donors that can help your research and our institution. The one that provides you with work.” She can see your mouth press into the line with some unspoken reply. “I assure you, you will have the time you need after—”
“These private equity assholes don’t know how to handle rare artifacts!” You snap. “I don’t trust her or any of them with it. I will not just hand over my—”
“—it isn’t yours.” He says briskly. “You will give Miss El what she wishes or else you and I will have a much lengthier discussion about your future here.” You freeze, and Kara expects your reaction to be that of further anger.
She waits to see your jaw tense until you grind your teeth, or your shoulders raise in frustration not yet shown, but neither happens. You look up at her, annoyance still so clear on your features, and then everything about you softens.
As if all that fight just vanishes, and god it makes her heart do something odd. Your eyes become big, all the hard lines fading, and you look so fragile it almost makes her feel bad for doing this to you.
“Yes sir.” You say softly, and to her great distaste that makes her thoughts go to other places. She hears him hang up, and you pass the phone back to her without word. You don’t say anything to her, just move around your desk and out the door.
She nods to the man who joined her, the one carrying transportation for the ancient pieces, and you eye him with that same skepticism in your gaze, and it makes Kara almost want to prove you wrong. Yet another new feeling to her. You reach the archives and remove it with a gentle touch, shaking as if you’re holding the world in your hands, and Kara sees the tiny tremor to your lips as you hand it over. The way you stare at the thing like a child does a stuffed animal, and she winces a little before she corrects herself.
Why does she care if you’re sad? Why does she care if she forced your hand? It’s what she does.
“I assure you,” she says suddenly, as if her guilt outweighs her logic, “we’ll return it soon and intact. Your dean assured me you’ll have extra time with it as a thank you. And our own specialist will give you all that we find out from it.”
You scoff. “I don’t want your bloody compensation.” You snarl, that moment of submission and rawness gone.
She hates to admit it, but seeing you switch between the two moods in real time, in front of her, because of her makes Kara feel litin a way she hasn’t in a long time. Like the fire raging in her belly finally has oxygen again. She wants to see you give into her again, and she doesn’t know why.
“Well we’ll still give it.” She assures. “Thank you.” She turns with the men, glad she can move on and get this over with.
Kara can’t help it, as she travels, her mind ghosts to you. She reads your thesis, and finds out why you’re so highly regarded in your niche. She sees your love for space sprawled across the page, and it makes her more enamoured by you. You have a gentle way of writing, but a firm one, almost like she can see your determination to prove the world wrong in every sentence.
It makes her think of your face, the moment you caved, and she craves to see it again. She craves to take you to space. Like you’re someone, finally someone, she could share her own longing with. She thinks about you too much, every moment not focused on work is focused on you.
When she returns home it’s no different. Her mother can tell she’s distracted the moment she walks through the door, but she still comes to hug her tightly. “You smell of space.” She chides and Kara rolls her eyes. “And dog.” Krypto gives a whine at this, and her mother grins. “Go shower.”
“I have to go return the map and disk.” She says flatly, and now her mother is smirking as she comes to fix Kara’s unruly bangs. She hates how her mother sees through her so easily, and she tries to shake her off.
“So, your father was correct, you found the academic cute.” She teases.
“Not cute ieiu.” She returns sharply. “Interesting.” She admits, and this makes her mother’s smile grow.
“Interesting huh?” She pushes as she follows Kara up the stairs of the grand mansion.
Kara twists to look back at her, and as always she caves a little. Her father and her uncle abandoned their traditional Kryptonian wears to assimilate to this place, and she has too for the most part, but her mother… her mother still looks likes she’s on their dead planet.
“Oh come Kara,” her voice slipping into her accent as she speaks, “tell me what you find so interesting about her. You normally don’t take to the humans like this.”
Kara knows she’s right. Everything else has been a passing fling more or less. A girl underneath her as stress relief, but you’re the first one to properly catch her eye. “She told me no.” She says honestly, and her mother laughs.
She hears another laugh fill the space and peers down to see Kal. All dark hair and broad shoulders her cousin stands taller than she does, a fact in which she’s always hated, and she rolls her eyes at him.
“Someone tell you no,” he says, “surely a first.” She huffs at him. “And now what sejehb? You going to find a way to convince her as you always do?”
Kara scowls now, before turning and trudging off to shower. Her first impulse was to needle at you until she wore you down, after all that’s what you do in business, but she quickly realizes she doesn’t want your affections if not sincere. You’ve caught her eye, and even she knows that when something does she can rarely let it go.
So she returns the pieces to you herself, something normally she’d find below her to do when she could delegate it to someone else, but the minute she sees you again she knows it was the right choice. You’re exactly where she found you the first time, the only proof of passing time the fact that new books and mugs sit on your desk.
“They’re back safe and sound.” She says, and it makes you jump. “As promised, and here.” She gives you some findings, vague enough to ensure nothing bad will come of it, but something to give you help. Another thing she normally wouldn’t do.
You eye it, mistrustfully, and then nod. “I’ll judge the safe and sound part. Glad you got what you wanted.” It makes her grimace, at the accusation in your tone, and she feels the need to defend herself for a moment.
Instead she shakes her head, and moves closer to your desk. She waits until her presence annoys you enough that you look up. “What?” You snap at her. “You want to steal my books away too?” She laughs.
“No.” She replies. “I want to take you for dinner.”
Now you laugh. “Why?” You push, actually closing your book. Kara takes that as a minor win. “What? I say no to you and you’re suddenly interested in me?” She withholds the tiny wince at how well you’ve read her, because she knows deep down she’s read you correctly too.
“Actually I enjoyed your thesis.” She says. “Space is a… hobby.” The word feels wrong to her, not when space is home, not when space held everything she loves and then destroyed it. She doesn’t show you that, she doesn’t let her own mask slip as she works to lower yours.
“Yeah right.” You say.
“It is unlikely that communion with the stars began only when we left our atmosphere. Ancient culture is driven by space, and that history can tell us where we may be able to go in future.” She quotes.
Your knuckles turn white against your work. “Fantastic you read the blurb. Want me to sign it?” You snap at her. It makes her smugness grow. She wants you to get feisty and then successfully get you to cave.
“I did read it. I can prove it to you. Over dinner…” She pushes.
“And why would I want to go to dinner with you?” You finally ask, and again she finds only a mistrustful reservation in your gaze that she knows mirrors her own at times.
“I’ll pay your debt.” She says, and you knock over a mug. She watches as it goes falling over the side of your desk, and swiftly catches it. You’re looking at her with those wide eyes again, big and in shock.
“What?” You ask.
“You have student debt. It’s pennies to me.” She admits. “I want dinner with you. So, aside from the fancy restaurant and good food, I’ll pay your debt off.” She’s watching you now. She watches as your throat bobs, and your eyes cast away from her. This is the test in someways, to see if you’re like all the others, and you don’t fail her.
“I told you.” You say strongly. “I can’t be bought. You’re rude, and entitled, and yeah maybe the food will be good and maybe it’d be the smart choice, but…” You huff. “No.”
Kara merely smiles as if she’s won the lottery, and she can tell this makes you angry with her. “I expected you to say as much.” She says, and then she’s taking her business card out and snatching your pen off your desk. “But I honestly thought you may rise to the challenge.”
This gets the reaction she wants. You’re gritting your teeth at her like she just insulted your entire family, and you give her a withering look. “Challenge?” You snap. “What challenge?”
“Well, I think you’re just scared.” She taunts. “Scared that if you say yes you may find something about me that interests you. That I may actually prove you wrong.” She stops scribbling on the back of it, and hands both to you. You stare at her and not it. “The number for my driver. I’ve made a reservation at one of my favourite Italian places for Friday at 7pm. When you change your mind simply call it.” She says. “No strings attached. No hidden price. Just a dinner and your debt is gone.”
What you want to do is toss the number in the trash and never think about Kara El again. Not her cocky demeanour, or her admittedly beautiful features, or the way the authority in her voice makes your stomach lurch. Instead you’re turning it over in your fingers every day of the week until Friday, and noticing the neat sprawl of her handwriting.
Now you sit in your friend’s crappy apartment, where you’ve been couch surfing for weeks, and you groan as you eye the time. You don’t have much more of it to weigh this out in your mind.
On one hand she seems insufferable. She pushes against things you can’t find the words to admit. She makes your heart pound. You shouldn’t do this. You should forget you met her. On the other hand one dinner however could wipe out your entire student debt. One dinner entertaining some heiress and showing her that her mild fixation with you is misplaced. You’ve heard the El’s keep their word. You know she’ll do it. She said it herself it’s pennies to her.
Then there were her words, about you being scared, and that further frustrates you, because you know there’s nothing more to Kara than what you saw. All rich people are entitled and miserable and she’ll be no different. Finally however, your common sense wins out, and you’re calling your friend to figure out what to wear. After all you don’t quite have ‘expensive restaurant’ attire.
To your surprise Kara isn’t in the car when it arrives to pick you up, but you do recognize one of the men that was with her when she came for the artifacts. “The miss told me to tell you that she had business nearby the restaurant, and is waiting for you there.” He says as he opens the door for you.
“And you are?” You ask warily.
“Gary ma’am.” He says with a smile. “I assure you I’m just here to deliver you to the miss.” You’re hesitant, but something in you doesn’t doubt him. “She’ll be pleased.” He adds with a playful grin as you get in. “She’s been quite anxious, although she’d kill me if she knew I told you, waiting to see if you’d come.”
You sigh. “She’s offering to change my life for a dinner. I can’t say no, even if I don’t like her.” This makes him laugh even more, as if Kara isn’t some rich employer but rather someone he cares for.
“She may surprise you.” He says, and you simply hum. You don’t agree. You don’t think there’s a surprise in Kara that’s worth figuring out. One dinner. One dinner and then you never have to be this stupid again. You can forget her.
As the car rolls to a stop you expect him to get out like he did when he picked you up, but the door swings open before he can, and Kara’s standing there. She’s not dressed like she was before. This time she looks almost casual. High waisted black pants that are the right mix of form fitting but loose, and a soft blue collared shirt. It’s rolled up at her elbows, tight around biceps you didn’t realize she had, and you notice an old watch on her wrist that doesn’t look expensive but unique.
Her hair is wild, but done up now unlike the other day, and she looks down at you with that smug smile of hers. You give Gary a look, as if to tell him ‘I told you so’, as you get out. “Thank you Gary.” You murmur.
“Welcome ma’am. Enjoy the dinner.” He says as he drives away.
Kara stares at you when you turn to her. “You came.” She says cockily, and it makes you bristle.
You suddenly feel stupid for entertaining this, for thinking for a tiny second that maybe she is more interesting than some rich man’s daughter. “This was a mistake.” You mutter. “You’re an asshole.” You turn and reach for your phone, but her hand catches your elbow.
“One little smile going to undo your resolve?” She teases, and you exhale sharply. “It’s merely a couple of hours, but I have no interest in forcing you…”
You roll your eyes at her, and you can see her jaw tick at the gesture. “Yeah right. Dangling no more debt over my head isn’t exactly winning me over on your own merits.”
She stops, frowns, and tilts her head as if she’s confused. You’re about to open your mouth but she’s taking something from her pocket, and handing it to you. A cheque. Your eyes widen, and you look up at her to find that her gaze is unreadable.
“Take it. I’ll call you a car.” She says, and takes out her own phone. “I have no interest in forcing you.” She repeats. “I meant what I said at your office. I do find you interesting. I thought we could talk about space.”
“Space?” You echo, and she presses her lips into a line.
“Did you not listen to a thing I said?” She asks, and now you feel like you’re actually seeing her and not the facade she wears. “I told you it was a hobby.” She seems to force that word out, and your own frown deepens.
“I thought it was an act.” You admit.
“No, it wasn’t.” She says dryly. “I thought you may have agreed to come because you were curious enough to see if I was more. If all you want is my money than—”
“No, it’s not.” You rebuke. “But I don’t want to have dinner with a cocky heiress either.” You both stand in silence for a moment, and then she sighs. She gestures to the restaurant and with a deep breath you follow her.
Her mood changes when she enters. It’s not quite the bravo you saw the other day, but it’s not her dryness either. “Giovanni!” She greets the man at the front, the chef by the looks of him. “Ciao!”
You stop as the Italian leaves her mouth. “Kara, che bello vederti!” The man returns, and then his eyes ghost to you. “Oh cielo, di solito non porti nessuno con te.” You swear she almost blushes at this.
“Dopotutto è un’eccezione…” She answers her eyes returning to yours for a moment, and suddenly you feel hot under her gaze.
“Sì, è molto carina, qui arrivo a mostrarti il tavolo.” And then he’s guiding you both somewhere. Kara walks behind you, as if to make sure she doesn’t lose you in the overwhelming space, and you find it a tad comforting.
He stops at a booth, and you notice there’s already wine there, Kara guiding you in softly. “Grazie.” She says and the man smiles at her before turning and leaving.
“You know Italian?” You say, and she stops as if she didn’t actually think you’d speak to her.
“Languages are another hobby.” This time there is no bite to the word. “I know a few.” She says with a shrug. She doesn’t even look at the menu, but you do. Your stomach does a nervous flip when you see the prices.
“You know what you want.” You say, and she nods wordlessly. “And what… would you recommend?” You ask, and she’s gently taking the menu from your hands and watching your face with great interest. Like you’re a puzzle she wishes to unravel.
“Do you trust me?” She asks.
“No.” You scoff, and it makes her smile, cocky once again. You don’t really want to order. The prices feel overwhelming, the choices with all Italian names and english descriptions makes your head swim, and finally work was a lot today and you don’t want to think about how your choice will look to her.
A waiter comes with water, and Kara’s ordering in Italian what is clearly two dishes. Your eyes widen, and you hate that warmth races to your stomach at her subtle act of control. “You’ll enjoy it.” She says, and you withhold a huff.
“Because you know me?” You ask.
“I perhaps looked up some information.” She says honestly. “I hate to come unprepared.” You roll your eyes at her again, and again her jaw ticks, now it makes you grin smugly at her and you can tell that she dislikes that too.
“What? Never had someone roll their eyes at you?” You tease.
“Yes I have,” she says, “why? Do you want a reaction from me kir chahv.” You stop at the odd turn of phrase. Perhaps it’s more Italian, although a little piece of you doesn’t think that it is. The way her voice slips into something else makes your stomach twist again, and you hate it. You hate the warmth her words create.
“No.” You reply, although by the way her lips lift you think she can tell you’re not entirely being honest. She leaves it be, and you sit in silence for a while. “So, space, why is it a hobby?” You finally ask her.
“Because it’s free.” She says. “Up there… away from all of this.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Why do you like space so much that you’d spend that cheque’s worth studying it?” You gulp.
“My grandfather.” You say. “He loved it, and history, and…” life. You don’t tell her he’s gone, or that he was your whole world, or the way that when he left you had no one. Because your family doesn’t understand you, your family never cared for you past him.
She watches you with a gentle interest now. “Still… it’s a lot of work, and archaeology and space is an interesting combo.” You scowl at the sentence you’ve heard too often.
“It’s not.” You argue. “As if ancient civilizations didn’t use the stars to preform great feats. As if ancient religions don’t play with space as if it was a domain we could one day perhaps touch. We look to the sky like it’s heaven and people like you think it’s the future always the future as if our future isn’t defined by our past!”
Your voice raises a little, and you expect perhaps that will Kara tense, instead she looks at you with so much curiosity it throws you off balance. Makes your head swim because not even your supervisor seems so… interested sometimes. Your throat bobs again as you let your voice trail off and Kara frowns.
“You didn’t need to stop.” She says. “I told you…”
“That you like space yes, but your reason was shallow.” She laughs then, as the food gets dropped off at your table.
“Shallow?” She teases. “I was honest.”
“Yes, but for a woman who wants to show me more… that was very little.” You argue. She’s quiet as she eats, and you follow her lead, eyes widening when you taste just how delightful the food really is. “Wow.” You whisper, and this makes her look turn triumphant.
“So I was right.” She says. “You do love it.” You scowl at her again. “Oh come on, does it pain you that much to admit that I’m right?”
You look away, a small pout forming on your lips. “Perhaps.” You say. “Only because I have no doubt it’ll give you an even bigger ego.”
As the dinner progresses Kara has to admit that her simple interest in you grows. She thought perhaps that you’d be right and that’d it slowly fade. That you would be normal, too easy to work the way she works everyone else around her, but no. You’re not. You’re snapping at her one moment and giving into her the next, and it’s a rush. A rush Kara hasn’t felt since she was young and everything seemed so… big and wild and free. Before she lost everything, and before this. This control her family now has that’s less earned and more given granted who they are.
She loves the way your nose crinkles when you don’t know an answer, or the way your eyebrows crinkle when you seem curious. She likes the way you give into her, even if you don’t entirely notice it, but most of all she swears she could listen to you for hours. She asks you what you think the map may mean and after a small scowl you tell her. You, begrudgingly, admit that the vague piece of information she gave sent you down a new line of thinking, and Kara’s surprised that you get much closer than she thought you may.
It does make her worry for a second, the caution drilled into her by her family making her hesitate, but something in her doesn’t care. A part of her maybe wants you to find out the truth. As horrible as that may seem to the rest of her family. She decides right then, as you speak, that she wants you. She wants you in a way she hasn’t felt before. She wants to hear you talk about space to her every day, and she wants to come home and make your eyes go big and round like they’ve done numerous times during your conversation. She wants to make your cheeks flush again and again and again…
“You’re not even listening.” You say, and again she notes a small pout that seems to accompany your more relaxed state. A sign she thinks that you’re giving in a little bit.
“I am.” She assures, and then she does something bold and reaches for your palm and dances her fingers across it. “You were telling me about ancient interpretations of Jupiter based off of old art.” Your eyes widen again as if you didn’t think she actually cared, but you don’t let the moment settle, and rather just continue on. It makes her laugh.
And soon enough the restaurant is clearing, and Kara’s frowning at the thought of having to leave you. She can see however the way your eyes droop as the exhaustion catches up to you, and that protective feeling she hasn’t felt in so long creeps up.
“It’s late.” She murmurs, and you frown at her as if equally sad.
“Oh.” You say, and then the tenseness returns to your features. She pays, and guides you out of the restaurant no matter how much she wishes she could force Giovanni to stay open. It’s been three hours now.
Kara leads you out of the restaurant, hand resting on the small of your back as she does, and you want to be annoyed at how it causes a small shiver to run up your spine, because you are not falling for this smug heiress who just demanded your time. This was an arrangement because you’d like to pay your student loans off before you’re 80.
You feel your throat constrict when you approach the black car, nerves coiling in your stomach at the thought of going home with her, but to your surprise Kara stops you. “Thank you,” she says and for once her voice loses the cocky inflection she usually speaks with, “for dinner.”
It takes you by surprise somehow. “Oh,” you whisper, “so you can be nice?”
This only seems to make her laugh again. “There are many sides of me you haven’t seen yet.” She teases. “I enjoy your company kir chahv. Could I ask for it again early next week?” She asks, and that surprises you. You thought her interest would fade when she realized just how normal you are.
“I thought you didn’t ask.” You say, testing her in your own way.
It makes her grin grow. “Not usually, and if we continue this arrangement you’ll find I’ll ask a lot less. but… despite your beliefs I only want your company if you’ll give it freely. So…” She pushes as you feel her car pull up behind you.
“You can ask for my company again.” You say honestly, and for what reason you have no clue. “As long as I get more free food.” She now rolls her eyes at you. “Hey!” You poke. “So you can do it but I can’t?”
“Precisely.” She says. “And food is a small price to pay to see your lovely face.” She adds.
You try not to blush, but you know she catches it anyways by the way her smirk grows. She gestures for you to get in the car, but you hesitate there. You give her a doubtful look now, the first you’ve given her all night, and she frowns.
“Do you still not trust me?” She asks you sincerely, and you wince. “You don’t need to be afraid of me.” She adds.
“I think I do.” You argue as you begin to slide down into the backseat. Although it’s not defensive. “You seem like the type of person that could ruin someone.”
She gives you one final grin as she ducks down, hand placed above the car door, as she brings her face close to yours. “Oh I’ll definitely ruin you.” She whispers as you feel her lips find your cheek. “But I promise you, you’ll enjoy it.”
...
italian (taken from translate so not the best):
Kara, che bello vederti - Kara, how nice to see you
Oh cielo, di solito non porti nessuno con te - Oh my, you don't usually bring anyone with you
Dopotutto è un’eccezione - an exception, after all...
Sì, è molto carina, qui arrivo a mostrarti il tavolo - Yes, she's very pretty, here I'll show you the table
