Desk + Spice
“Lena?”
Lena lifts her head at the sound of her wife’s voice, smiling when she sees her poking her head through the door.
“Kara… what are you doing here?”
“You didn’t come home,” Kara says as she enters the office. “I know you said you were gonna be late but I felt bad thinking about you being here all night.”
Lena blushes and tilts her head.
With everyone else gone, the floor is nice and quiet. The hall lights are off, as well as the ones in Lena's space-- save for the planet lamp on her desk. It's easier to focus when it's like this. Easier to think.
“Darling, I’m always here all night.”
“I know. But now, you can be here all night with Chinese food!”
Kara sets down the bags of takeout she’s carrying onto Lena’s desk and takes a seat on the other side.
“Do you want to eat here or on the couch?”
From years of knowing her, she’s learned to never ask ‘do you want to take a dinner break’. Asking implies choice— and given the choice, Lena will always pick work. So she offers desk or couch. They’ll eat wherever Lena wants, as long as it means Lena’s taking a break and getting some real food in her.
“Desk,” Lena responds.
She clears out some of her papers and sets them on the floor, then moves her tablet and laptop aside to make room for Karas feast.
“How was your day?” Lena asks as they unpack. “Give the new interns hell?”
There’s potstickers, rice, and dumplings for Kara in one bag. Then soup with noodles and spring rolls in set aside for Lena.
"Only a little."
Lena raises an eyebrow.
“Okay, but I tried not to. They’re just so— they don’t listen! They make me feel like I’m turning into Cat.”
“What does that mean?” Lena asks, smiling.
“I said chop chop like three times today,” Kara explains with an embarrassed sigh. She flushes bright red at the way Lena struggles to withhold her laughter. “Look— if you were there, you would’ve said it too. I was drowning!”
“Oh- be careful with that one,” Lena adds as Kara reaches for a spring roll. “It’s spicy.”
“I like spice.”
Questioningly, Lena's brow lowers.
“I do!” Kara insists. She takes a bite, immediately making a face when it hits her. It goes from zero to a hundred in seconds-- feels like her mouth is actually being lit on fire.
She swallows, then chases it by chugging her entire bottle of water, and letting out a long exhale when she's done.
"You were right," she says. "I don't like spice."