Chapter Text
“It is not a date!” Kara shouted from her closet at Alex as she threw a pile of dresses onto her already crowded bed. The redhead was standing there, looking incredulous. It seemed as if Kara’s entire closet was strewn across the quilt. She crossed the room and picked up a blue cocktail dress from the bed and held it up against her body. Alex shook her head dismissively and Kara tossed it back down with a huff.
They had been dancing around their tension for a year. Ever since Lena took the reins at CatCo, Kara had noticed that there had been something completely inevitable about their collide. The glances, the flirting, the touches, the subtle hints they wanted more. Neither acknowledging it but neither wanted to stop. Some small, hopeful part of Kara thought that things might come to a head tonight. She couldn’t stop thinking about what Lena would wear. How she would smell. What kissing her would feel like if they were buzzed enough to drop their pretenses and just go for it. Not that she wanted to acknowledge that particular part. ‘Or have anyone else acknowledge it, thank you very much.’ Kara was snapped from her train of thought by the teasing voice of her sister.
“She is taking you to dinner and then to the opera, Kara. It sounds like a date to me.” Alex deadpanned, clearly amused by her sister’s blind refusal to acknowledge the borderline-obscene amount of sexual tension that had developed between Kara and the CEO.
“It’s not a date!” Kara exclaimed nervously, her sharp, panicked denial was loud enough that it could be heard down the hall. With nervous energy, she held up a floor length black dress against her body and examined it in the mirror. It was fairly modest in the front, however it was completely backless. Kara smiled privately to herself before turning back to her sister, eyebrows raised, silently asking if this was the dress. Okay so maybe she wanted to impress Lena. ‘There is nothing wrong with wanting to impress someone so intelligent and kind and funny and open-minded and catastrophically beautiful!’ She was becoming less and less convinced of her resolve to preserve the friendship with every word of her internal monologue.
Alex nodded at the choice and Kara did all she could to not squeal as she hurried to the bathroom to change. “Kara- it’s definitely a date!” Alex shouted playfully after Kara as the door closed. Alex shook her head and chuckled, there was no way they were getting out of this night without at least some of their feelings finding their way out into the open. Their sexual tension was already public domain- the subject of office gossip, wild tabloid speculation, and even a few bets between mutual friends. Even Alex had gotten in on the action, putting $300 on them getting together by the end of the Summer.
***
Lena looked absolutely stunning in a silky red gown, her plunging neckline had been driving Kara to distraction the entire evening. She was doing everything she could to keep her eyes off of Lena’s exquisite décolletage. Dinner had been a raging success. Lena couldn’t help but notice that the dress she selected was having the intended effect on her not-date. Kara could hardly look away. She kept staring at her lips just a little too long. Between subtle touches as they exited the town car and the way Kara hung on every word that left her mouth- Lena was confident that tonight would end positively for their relationship. Or whatever it was they had been building to for the last year and a half.
Between the lush dinner and the opera- with the private mezzanine Lena had rented out just for them, Kara felt sufficiently wooed. They were on their way from dinner when Lena had quietly dropped a bomb. “A private mezzanine?” Kara cocked an eyebrow at the not-so-subtle flex of Lena’s enormous fortune.
“Of course.” Lena’s warm, knowing smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “What’s the point of having all of this,” she gestured to the luxury the back seat of the town car implied, “if I don’t splurge every once in a while.” Kara couldn’t help but fixate on just how perfect Lena’s dimples were.
“Of course.” Kara parroted back to her and smiled that dopey, puppy-dog smile. The one that made Lena’s stomach do backflips. That smile was half the reason she had asked the reporter, her best friend, out on this very ill-advised, very expensive, not-really-a-date.
Kara was bumbling, endearing, sweet, and also completely gorgeous. Lena hung on Kara’s every word as she rambled enthusiastically. Apparently, she had discovered the “We Rate Dogs” Twitter account earlier in the week. All of that made what happened next infinitely more disappointing.
It had been a rumor. A rumor Kara overheard while taking a bathroom break during intermission. She didn’t mean to listen to the conversation while she was in the lushly outfitted stall, but her interest had been piqued.
Based on the conversation, Kara assumed the two women speaking in hushed tones were orchestra musicians. The gist of the overheard conversation was that a very generous, very anonymous sponsor had asked for them to perform blindfolded at a rancorous party. They were to play a concert at some palatial estate an hour or so outside of the city. From what Kara could tell, this was a semi-regular event. They were blindfolded on the ride in, blindfolded on the ride home, and not allowed to leave their stations for the entire evening. The parties lasted from dusk until the sun rose. One of them had seen outside of her blindfold at the last party. It was full of beautiful women and men in opulent masquerade. Many of whom were in some state of undress. ‘What? What could possibly be happening that was so secret the hired help had to be blindfolded?’ Kara’s mind raced with the possibilities as she sat quietly in the stall, desperately trying to not make a sound. ‘Maybe it’s some type of cult? Or maybe it’s human trafficking? Or a brothel?’ Whatever it was- it would make for an interesting exposé. Snapper would be thrilled if she managed to unearth something of note.
Kara waited for them to leave the bathroom and hurried back to the private mezzanine. ‘Lena has to know something about this. Lena knows everything that happens in National City.’ Heck, Lena even gave her the lead that busted open Veronica Sinclair’s fight club. ‘There’s no way she won’t know about a… sex cult’s semi-annual masquerade ball.’ All thoughts of their more-and-more-of-an-actual-date went out the window as Kara fixated on the hypothetical story she had concocted. The potential explanations for the events, the women she could help save from theoretical exploitation.
“Lena!” Kara exclaimed as she arrived back at their seats. The raven haired woman had been on her phone, but very quickly returned it to her purse with the arrival of her companion, a warm smile crossing her face.
“I was worried you got lost.” Lena teased, quiet mirth enveloping her words as she welcomed Kara back, gesturing at the empty seat beside her. The excitement that consumed her upon Kara’s return was palpable, and had Kara been paying attention to anything other than her intense train of thought, she would have noticed the brief disappointment on Lena’s face when she didn’t sit. Kara was practically vibrating with energy.
“Lena, I overheard something weird in the bathroom.” The crinkle of contemplation made its home right between Kara’s eyebrows and Lena raised one of hers in return, silently imploring her to continue. To hopefully offer an explanation as to why Kara’s thoughts were suddenly a thousand miles away.
Lena’s heart hammered in her chest as she attempted to play it cool. What Kara was describing elicited a fight or flight reaction in Lena, one she absolutely refused to elaborate on. She played coy. Waved her hand dismissively and in her best “I Don’t Know Anything About Anything” voice, played denial. It was abundantly clear to Kara that Lena was hiding something. They remained quiet through the rest of the performance, but Lena was distant, even after Kara dropped the subject in an attempt to salvage their not-a-date. Their evening ended cordially, a friendly hug in the back seat of the town car that lingered perhaps a moment too long and promises to get together for lunch later in the week. It was not the ending either of them imagined.
***
Kara did not know what to expect when she decided to start investigating claims of these raging parties with blindfolded musicians. According to the rumor they were hosted at otherwise empty country manors, but every time she got close to finding out where, who, what, or why- she reached a dead end. All the homes were owned by shell corporations, all of the musicians were bound by vigorous NDAs and no one who knew anything wanted to speak with her. She had been badgering caterers, florists, and party planners all over National City in an attempt to gain even a shred of a lead. It took two weeks, but one finally turned up. A costume maker in the city had been filling an extraordinary amount of orders for elaborate Venetian masks. He gave her a name. With some vague threats and impressive bluffing- that name gave her an address and a date. Let no one say Kara was anything less than professionally crafty.
Shockingly, the hand made mask was the least comfortable part of her outfit. Anyone who knew anything about masquerade was intimately familiar with the pinch of the porcelain and the gentle ache the ribbons left behind your ears. ‘It’s the worst $400 I’ve ever spent.‘ Kara grumbled internally as she adjusted the mask once again. After careful deliberation, she had twisted her hair into a bun behind her head and slipped on the same black dress she had worn to the opera not even two weeks prior. The cab ride to the country mansion was the hardest part. In forty-two minutes Kara had “fixed” her hair no less than three times and had completely removed her mask by the time the car had pulled up in front of the gates to the estate. Thankfully as she exited the cab, she remembered to grab the mask and the small audio recording device she had taped to the inside. ‘Thank God Alex doesn’t know about this.‘
A long, winding driveway lead to the home, bordered by perfect lines of ancient white oak trees. It culminated in a horseshoe that circled an ostentatious marble fountain. Kara’s heart hammered in her throat as she walked through the open gate and towards the awaiting lion’s den. The inadvertent pain in her ankles from wearing heels was all but forgotten as she scanned her surroundings for clues about what might be going on inside. The drive was lined by limousines, town cars, G Wagons, dozens of anonymous super cars, and one very identifiable, forest green Koenigsegg Jesko. It made Kara’s already nervous stomach do a flip. Of course Lena would be here. ‘That’s why she was acting so weird when I asked her about the musicians. She knew! Of course she knew! Nothing happens in this city that she doesn’t know about. But why would she lie?’ It was very rare that Kara was angry, actually angry, let alone with Lena Luthor. Her best friend, the woman she would forgive for any transgression. ‘But this? Lying to my face?’ Kara’s stomach soured even further. ‘How bad is what’s happening here? That Lena would lie to me about it?’
It appeared like any other stately home this far outside of the city, palatial and opulent. Six pristine columns framed the colossal mahogany double doors on either side. Kara steeled herself and rapped twice with the brass knocker. They immediately swung into the home, she was greeted by a man in an impeccably tailored suit. A golden mask covered his entire face, leaving his presumed identity to the annals of her imagination. “Password.” He spoke just loudly enough to be heard over the commotion inside. It was not a question, but a demand.
“Leonore.” Kara was shocked by the confidence in her voice. She knew she was out of her depth here. The gatekeep merely nodded to her and ushered her inside. She drew a deep breath before stepping through the threshold and into the party that raged before her. Kara was immediately overwhelmed. She stood wide eyed and noticeably rooted in place, her gaze lingering on the tables of liquor and wine, the heaping piles of cocaine, the revelers who were partaking in the indulgences, seemingly unaware of the intruder in their midst. Tom Ford and Roja hung thick in the air, almost cloying, but not quite. Fresh air wafted in from somewhere, offering slight relief from the intensity of the moment. It was a sensory overload of the highest caliber.
The room was crowded with the super-rich, adorned in luxurious dresses, bespoke suits, some even in partial states of undress. They mingled, laughing deliciously over glasses of wine and champagne, all in elaborate Venetian masks. Many covered their full faces but many more only covered the top halves. It was apparent that in spite of the multitude of measures used to keep this gathering a secret, no one here was truly concerned about their identity being revealed.
The swell of classical music could be heard coming from another room as the impeccably dressed party-goers milled about, talking about everything except business. The overwhelming drone of overlapping conversation kept Kara frozen, trying to take it all in as quickly as possible. Trying to figure out what she had walked into. Kara did not know how long she stood there, dumbfounded while the party swirled around her. As she was finally beginning to get her bearings, the music changed. The understated strings swept into a crescendo and the entire room shifted from their conversations to gaze at the top of the magnificent staircase that descended into the foyer.
Ignoring everything else, Kara met her eyes. Even from a distance, Kara recognized the glittering blue green behind an elaborate porcelain and gold mask. It was a twisting, curling, masterpiece that framed her eyes, her nose, and left her full lips and jawline exposed. Lena’s raven hair was dead straight and pulled back into an immaculate high ponytail secured by a thick golden band. One foot in front of the other, she began her descent into the party, Aphrodite incarnate leaving the pantheon to mingle with the plebeians. She wore a long sleeved dress with a plunging neckline. It was almost backless with a high slit that traveled entirely up her left thigh to her hip. The dress clung tightly to her generous curves, black as night and ludicrously expensive. The view was positively indecent. Her heels were towering stilettos, pointed at the toe, and patent leather. Kara recognized them immediately as her “fuck you” heels, shoes she only ever wore to make a point.
The reporter in Kara was taking diligent mental notes as Lena’s gaze swept across the crowd, a venerable queen taking stock of her people. Kara was filing away this exact memory so that she would never be able to forget this moment. Lena Luthor was dressed to kill. Somewhere between the vibrant red lips, the commanding, utterly mesmerizing way Lena held herself, and the cut of her dress- Kara realized just how deeply attracted to the Luthor she was. Sure, she had always objectively known Lena was beautiful, she wasn’t blind. But it was the shock of seeing her out of context that caused the first domino to fall. All of the anger Kara had felt about Lena lying to her dissipated into nothing. It was replaced with a deep longing to know exactly how her lips felt, what it would feel like to hold her. Really hold her. A part of Kara that typically kept itself quiet reared its head. ‘I wonder how soft the insides of her thighs are.’
It was in that moment of shock and awe that a rough hand wrapped itself around Kara’s arm and began pulling her from the foyer, towards a door that she hadn’t bothered to notice before, so wrapped up in studying the party, in studying Lena. “Come with me.” The man whispered furiously, “You don’t want to make a scene.” Had she been in her right mind, Kara would have fought back more fiercely. Despite her better judgement, Kara complied. She stumbled slightly in her heels as he moved her through the crowd by her arm. He wore a plain red mask that covered his whole face. His suit was black, as was his shirt. The man cut an intimidating figure, Kara knew that even if she tired to bolt, he would catch her. ‘This isn’t going to end well The color was draining from her face in a hurry as they moved. The party went on, completely unaware of the intruder being marched to her judgement. Kara swiveled her head desperately, looking for Lena, hoping, praying that she would find her in the crowd.
It was a short walk to the door, not nearly enough time to find Lena. Kara was in a full blown panic now. She had known this would be a risky venture, and Lena had warned her away plenty. But Kara had to know the truth. Her innate curiosity wasn’t satisfied by incomplete knowledge.
While many of the revelers wore half masks, this particular room contained only fully masked people. They were stern and frigid. The party atmosphere had evaporated completely and the feeling of absolute panic began to set into Kara’s skin, she felt like there were needles in each of her pores. The men and women surrounding her were quietly speculating about what to do about their problem. “Silence.” The man in the red mask commanded the room, raising his hand to reinforce the point. An immediate hush fell upon them. “What-” he paused, perhaps to throw Kara off, to increase her already palpable anxiety, or maybe because he had never been faced with this situation before, “is the password?”
“L- Leonore.” Kara stumbled out, her racing heart and ragged breath betrayed her anxiety. The fear in the room was palpable- and not just from her. Her palms were sweaty and her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. She was doing everything in her power to calm her breathing, to steel herself, to evaluate the situation. Kara had no way out. This room had no windows and only one door. Unfortunately that door was guarded by two rather large men in black Jackal masks and well tailored suits standing on either side of it. There was no way out. ‘Fuck.’
“Yes. That is the password to get in. But what is the password for the house?” The whole room seemed to inhale collectively, leaving Kara lightheaded. Searching desperately for an answer she did not have.
“I-” Kara began heavily before being cut off by the demanding clack of stilettos on marble and the gust of fresh air as the door swung open.
“I heard there was a problem here.” A wave of relief washed over Kara as Lena’s boardroom voice, her command, echoed through the room. Her presence immediately drew the attention of the council. The softer Lena that Kara had grown so attached to was completely absent. Her perfect posture and unaffected look were intimidating, even behind the elaborate mask. Kara’s eyes went wide with recognition before she attempted to regain a more neutral expression.
“We found an intruder.” The man in the red mask gestured to Kara before rubbing the temples of his mask in frustration.
“It’s fine- she’s here as my guest.” Lena looked pointedly at him, “Now go- enjoy your evenings.” The makeshift council dispersed with a dismissive flick of Lena’s perfectly manicured hand. As soon as the last of the men filtered out, Lena strode over to where Kara was standing, still in shock. She spoke quietly as she drew closer, firm but kind, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I- Well- What- What are you doing here?” Kara loudly whispered back- stumbling through an attempt to play it cool. ‘Lena is here. Lena is here. Lena is here right now. Lena is here right now dressed like that! Lena is here right now dressed like that and this is a sex party! Something barely familiar lit itself in Kara’s gut. Her stomach sank like a rock at the realization that Lena was most definitely planning on having sex that night. It wasn’t like Kara didn’t know Lena had sex. Kara knew Lena had sex. She just didn’t want to hear about it. Or think about it. The thought of Lena touching someone else? Of Lena being touched by someone else? It was nauseating.
“This is my party, Darling.” Lena all but purred, doing what she could to reclaim the power she knew she had lost getting caught in her lie. Kara was dumbfounded.
“Y- you put this together? You’re the one that’s been throwing these…” Kara hesitated, attempting to find a word that didn’t make her blush the way ‘orgies’ did, “Parties?”
“I’m not surprised you couldn’t just let that rumor go.” Lena shifted, smiling affectionately, almost nervously. Her boardroom persona was gone- leaving behind the kind, playful, earnest Lena that came alive whenever she and Kara were alone together. “It’s not just me.” Lena began to attempt to explain, “Hosting duties… rotate.” Kara’s entire body was white hot as she blushed furiously.
“I- I should probably go. I don’t want to intrude.”
“You’re here now. You wanted to see this- right? I can show you.” Lena smiled and placed her hand reassuringly on Kara’s, gently dragging her thumb over Kara’s knuckles. Goosebumps erupted over Kara’s toned arms. “It’s no trouble.”
“Gosh Lena. Are you sure that’s okay?” If Kara wasn’t already engulfed in a full body blush, she certainly would have been as Lena touched her. ‘This can’t be real. There’s no way.’ Kara was completely out of her depth. There was no logical reason she would agree to stay. She had certainly seen enough. The only draw was Lena. Lena who she was so angry at not even ten minutes previously. Lena who, in that dress, had inspired several deeply concerning, and relatively unhealthy, revelations about Kara’s possessive attraction towards her.
“Absolutely.” Lena’s cat-that-got-the-cream smile was infectious, and Kara’s nervous grin turned into something much more genuine. The reassurance Lena offered her before leaning into Kara’s space somehow made all of her reservations disappear. Kara’s heart pounded harder as she felt the tickle of hot breath on her ear. “Follow me.” Lena whispered conspiratorially, emboldened by Kara’s slow, stunned nod, she laced their fingers together and lead the reporter from the room back to the foyer. Kara's stomach dropped. 'Oh gosh.‘