“We should play truth or dare.”
Kara nearly choked on her wine when she realized what Lena had said. That sounded like an amazingly terrible and yet incredibly intriguing idea. She turned to say something when she caught Alex giving her a look that could shatter diamonds. Kara downed the last of her wine and said,
“It’s getting pretty late, Lena.”
“You’re no fun,” Lena said, poking Kara in the center of her chest for emphasis.
Kara was glad she was sober. It wasn’t entirely true that she was immune to alcohol- it just took about a gallon of grain alcohol for her to feel a mild buzz for a few minutes, then have to run to the bathroom as her superhuman metabolism almost instantly forced it out of her system. Alex had “helped” her discover that once back in high school, and they both ended up grounded for a month.
“Come on, Kara. This way I can find out where you’re always running off to. In vino, veritas.”
Kara looked around and saw her own mirrored panic rising in the others. Kelly looked on from the kitchen, the only other member of their little group who was oblivious to the sheer weight of what Lena just said. Nia looked even more green than she had a moment earlier, and Alex was giving Kara a warning look, shaking her head behind Lena.
Brainy, for his part, remained mellow, sipping his grape soda. He was the designated driver for the night.
“Yeah, we need to go,” Nia threw in. “It’s been fun but I have an early day tomorrow.”
“It’s Saturday,” Lena protested, but it came out shaturday.
“I have to get up for yoga,” said Nia.
“We’re all in the same class on Thursday,” said Lena.
“Um, I’m getting ready for the yoga championships. Extra classes.”
Lena raised an arched brow.
Alex cut in, suddenly. “Kelly babe, you ready?”
“If you are. I was going to see if Kara needs help with the dishes.”
“I’m fine,” Kara called out, hearing the alarm in her own voice.
“Lena, are you riding with us?”
“Nah,” said Lena. “I’ll stay.”
Alex cleared her throat.
“How will you get home? You’re sauced, Miss Luthor.”
Lena grinned and looked over at Kara. “I’ll just stay over. I do it all the time.”
Alex’s brows climbed up and she turned to Kara with an incredulous expression.
“When did that start?”
“It’s no big deal. I live on the other side of town and Kara has a nice couch.”
Alex seemed to relax a little. Kara’s heart was trying to slam through her ribs.
“Okay.”
They all bundled out of the apartment, with Alex promising to text and Brainy swearing to let Kara know they were all home safe.
Kara closed the door behind them and turned around. Lena was still curled up on the couch, swirling the last of her wine in the bottom of the glass. She was in leggings and a big, baggy sweater that had been pulled to one side so hard that it almost bared her shoulder. Her hair was down and had gone wavy, falling over one half of her face, making her mysterious and distant. She downed the last swig of wine and put the glass down.
“We could still play truth or dare.”
“Lena,” said Kara. “You’re really drunk.”
“So are you.”
Kara swallowed, hard, feeling the bitter bile of her lies at the back of her throat. She wasn’t drunk at all. She was barely even tired; the city had been miraculously calm all summer.
“Which is it, Kara? Truth or dare.”
“Neither,” said Kara. “I think what you need is some sleep.”
Lena rested her glass on the coffee table, in the middle of a game of Monopoly that they’d all been too drunk to finish.
(Except Kara. Lena would have won, because Kara always agreed to whatever trade Lena offered, because saying no to Lena was harder than lifting a submarine over her head)
Kara leaned back against the kitchen counter coolly, trying not to betray her emotions. That turned into a job for Supergirl as Lena rose from the sofa with seductive grace, stalking across the loft with feline intensity. She was at once cuddly and soft in her sweater and a seductive vamp with her long inky locks pulled over one shoulder and the other bare.
Kara’s eyes locked on the bared skin, soft and creamy and crying out for a warm touch, then pulled away sharply as she willed herself not to ogle her best friend. It was a losing battle. Every step brought Kara back to the sway of her hips or the way her leggings gripped her thighs or the soft promise of her curves beneath that sweater.
Kara was starting to think she might be gay.
Lena stepped into her space. With both of them barefoot, Kara had a notable height advantage. Lena reduced it by rising on her tiptoes and threw her arms around Kara’s neck.
Kara had few weaknesses. Kryptonite. Magic. If kept up long enough, oxygen deprivation.
Lena Luthor.
She was so close that Kara could taste her breath, the fruity tang of the wine and the soft, inviting scent of Lena beneath her perfume. She was wearing a soft pink lip gloss that drew Kara to stare at her lips. She could almost feel them without touching. Her blue-green eyes were dark and sultry, and she leaned in on Kara, pressing the soft weight of her breasts against her chest.
Kara’s pulse went like a hummingbird and her knees went wobbly, but she simply ignored gravity.
Kara had other advantages. She could see the heat bloom on her skin and feel the change in he skin conductivity, and hear her heart racing. Lena’s pulse nearly matched her own.
Before she knew what she was doing, Kara had her hands resting on Lena’s sides just above her hips, moving on pure instinct. All she’d have to do was dip her head a fraction and she’d be kissing her. She was so close.
“Please pick dare,” Lena whispered.
It too every fiber of her being not to say “dare,” but she held her tongue. She also held Lena.
“I can’t. You’re drunk and I’m not.”
“Hi drunk, I’m dad.”
“Lena! This is serious!”
“Oh, you’re serious. I thought you were daddy.”
“Lena!”
“I dare you to…”
Kara pressed her finger to Lena’s lips.
“Lena, please listen. You’re drunk. I’m not. If you still want to do… whatever this is… in the morning, I… I want that. But not like this.”
Lena frowned and Kara thought she might die of sheer sorrow right there.
“Okay. Should I go home?”
“No, absolutely not. Just… do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll explain in the morning. I promise I’ll,” she swallowed hard, choking down the fear. “I’ll tell you everything.”
“Okay.”
Kara sighed and scooped Lena up, easily taking her weight in her arms. Lena yelped and hugged tight around her, clinging close and pressing cheek to cheek. Kara wanted to kiss her so bad that it ached in her chest, throbbed in her veins, but she didn’t. She carried her to the couch.
“Wait,” Lena said. “Can’t I sleep in the bed with you? I promise I won’t try anything.”
Kara nodded, mentally wincing. She carried Lena around to the bed and laid her down, drawing the blankets over her and settling her head on the pillow.
She had a choice to make her. The right thing to do, the honorable and chivalrous thing, would be to go sleep on the couch. She knew that, but the very idea of it was anathema to her.
To her credit, she stepped out of the bedroom to change and she put on pajama bottoms.
Kara took the far side of the bed, staring straight up. She didn’t expect to sleep a wink, but somehow she drifted off.
When she woke up, there was a weight on her. She looked down and found Lena pillowed on her chest. With a sigh, Kara rolled onto her side and drew Lena close, sheltering the other woman in her arms. In sleep she looked peaceful, so free of the worries and fears and anxieties that dogged her when she was awake.
Kara knew she should stop stroking Lena’s hair, knew she should let go of her, but the soft, hypnotic beat of Lena’s heart was nothing she could escape. She held Lena a little tighter, her own heart fluttering when Lena murmured her name on her sleep and hugged her back.
They woke up like that, Lena tucked in close under Kara’s chin. Lena was already awake when Kara woke up.
“Hi,” said Lena.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
“Head hurts.”
“I’ll get you something,” Kara said, starting to rise.
“Oh no you don’t,” said Lena, tugging her back down. “You said you were going to tell me everything.”
Kara froze.
“How much of last night do you remember?”
“I remember the part where I tried to climb you like a tree and you bridal-carried me to bed and tucked me in,” said Lena. “And the part where you started hugging me like a teddy bear.”
“You started that.”
Lena snorted. “Why didn’t you kiss me?”
“Like I said, you were drunk, and I can’t… not until I… you don’t know everything.”
Lena sighed, looking away, and then looked up.
“So, truth then. Are you Supergirl?”
Kara flinched back, momentarily struck numb. If she was asking that, it meant she knew the answer.
Lena stared at her hopefully, almost pleadingly, her big pretty eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She bit her lip and Kara melted, feeling herself turn to goo.
“Yes.”
Lena let out a long sigh of blessed relief, closing her eyes.
“Lena?”
“It’s my turn. I pick truth.”
“Okay, um,” said Kara, “why did you ask me why I didn’t kiss you?”
Lena rolled her eyes. “Because you’ve been staring at me like I’m a bowl of potstickers for years, and I was wondering if you were ever going to make a move.”
“Why would I look at you like you’re food?”
“I meant you were looking at me like I’m something you want to eat, Kara.”
“I’m not that kind of alien.”
Lena tensed, breathing sharply as she looked stunned and a little hurt.
“Wait,” Kara blurted, “oh Rao that was a joke, I didn’t mean I don’t want to… I really do want… I just , I’m… I don’t know what to say now.”
“I’m in love with you,” Lena sighed.
Kara froze. “You… you’re… with me… IIloveyoutoo.”
The mashed-together declaration had barely escaped her lips when Lena lunged closer and kissed her. From there it was pure chaos. Lena pulled and Kara followed, rapidly ending up on top of her as she shimmied out of last night’s outfit.
Kara pulled back from a soul-burning kiss as she felt the heat of Lena’s bare skin under her hands.
“Wait,” she said. “If I picked truth last night, what would you have asked?”
Lena smirked.
“Why do you stare at my chest all the time?”
Kara laughed, snorting a little.
“I’ll show you.”
