Chapter Text
“I am not what you see. I am what time and effort and interaction slowly unveil.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich
It was very hard, in the morning, to argue with the part of herself that was sure last night was a dream. Logic wasn’t on her side, or common sense. Kara clung to the parts she couldn’t have imagined—like Lena’s smell. She was sure she could never have dreamed that up on her own.
It was foggy and dark outside her window, absolutely perfect. Lena had no reason not to be in school today. Kara dressed in heavier clothes, remembering to keep up the pretense of needing them. She was reminded that her jacket was left in Winn’s car as she went through the motions; it was further proof that her memory was real. When she got downstairs, Eliza was gone again—and Kara was running later than she’d realized. She swallowed a granola bar in three bites, chased it down with milk straight from the carton, and the hurried out the door with another granola bar between her teeth. It was unusually foggy; the air was almost smokey. The mist of the cold morning clung to the exposed skin against her face and neck. It was so foggy, and with her lead-lined glasses keeping her eyesight at an almost “human level”, she didn’t realize there was another car in the driveway until she was already a few feet down. A silver car. Kara’s heart thudded, stuttered, and then picked up again in double time.
She didn’t see where Lena came from, but suddenly she was there, pulling the door open for Kara. Kara pulled the granola bar from her teeth, shoving it into her pocket quickly.
“Do you want to ride with me today?” she asked, amused by Kara’s expression as she caught her by surprise yet again. There was uncertainty in Lena’s voice. She was really giving Kara a choice—she was free to refuse, and part of Lena hoped for that. It was a vain hope.
“Yes, thank you.” Kara breathed out. She stepped into the warm car, noticing Lena’s tan jacket was slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closed behind her, and in an instant, Lena was sitting next to her, starting the car.
“I brought the jacket for you. I now know you won’t get sick or something, but no one else knows that.” Lena’s voice was guarded but a smirk was growing. Kara noticed she wore no jacket herself, just a light knit gray sweater that clung to her body perfectly, accentuating her chest. Kara worked hard to keep her eyes on Lena’s face, and away from her body.
“I appreciate the thought.” Kara said, pulling the jacket from the headrest and pushing her arms through the too-short sleeves, curious to see if the scent could possibly be as good as she remembered. It was better.
“You’re welcome.” Was the low response from Lena that Kara now expected.
They drove through the fog-shrouded streets, too fast to be safe, and feeling awkward. Kara was, at least. Last night all the walls seemed to be down… almost all. Kara didn’t know if they were still being candid today, and it left Kara tongue-tied. She waited for Lena to speak.
Lena turned to smirk at her. “What, no twenty questions today?”
“Do my questions bother you?” Kara asked, for once relieved for the silence to be broken.
“Not as much as your reactions do.” She looked like she was joking, but Kara couldn’t be sure.
Kara frowned. “Do I react badly?”
“No, that’s the problem. You take everything so coolly—it’s unnatural. It makes me wonder what you’re really thinking.”
“I always tell you what I’m really thinking.”
“You edit.” She accused.
“Not very much. It’s only fair, just because I’m an alien doesn’t mean I can read your mind either.”
Lena scoffed. “Still enough to drive me insane.”
“You don’t want to hear it anyway.” Kara mumbled, almost whispered. As soon as the words were out, she regretted them. The pain in her voice was faint; she could only hope Lena hadn’t noticed it.
Lena didn’t respond, and Kara wondered if she had ruined the mood. Her face was unreadable as they drove into the school parking lot. Something occurred to Kara belatedly.
“Where’s the rest of your family?” Kara asked—more than glad to be alone with her but remembering Lena’s car was usually full.
“They took Andrea’s car.” Lena shrugged as she parked next to a glossy red convertible with the top up. “Ostentatious, isn’t it?”
“Wow,” Kara breathed. “If she has that, why does she ride with you?”
“Like I said, it’s ostentatious. We try to blend it.”
“You don’t succeed.” Kara laughed, shaking her head as she got out of the car. She wasn’t late anymore; Lena’s erratic driving had gotten them to school in plenty of time. “So why did Andrea drive today if it’s more conspicuous?”
“Hadn’t you noticed? I’m breaking all the rules now.” Lena met her at the front of the car, staying very close to Kara’s side as they walked onto campus. Kara wanted to close that little distance, to reach out and touch Lena, but she was afraid that Lena wouldn’t like for her to.
“Why do you have cars like that at all?” she wondered aloud. “If you’re looking for privacy?”
“An indulgence,” Lena admitted with an impish smile. “We all like to drive fast.”
“Figures,” she mumbled, shaking her head.
Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof’s overhang, Winn was waiting, his eyes about to bug out of their sockets. Over his arm, bless him, was her jacket.
“Hey, Winn,” Kara greeted when they were a few feet away. “Thanks for remembering.” He handed the jacket over without speaking, a grin starting to form.
“Good morning, Winn.” Lena said politely, her voice aiming for irresistible, but Winn seemed nonplused by it.
“Hi.” He shifted his wide eyes to Kara, the smile growing in tandem. He was clearly excited. “I’ll see you in Trig?” He gave a meaningful look and Kara had to stifle a laugh. What on earth was she going to tell him?
“Yeah, I’ll see you then.”
Winn walked away, pausing twice to peek back over his shoulder at them.
“What are you going to tell him?” Lena whispered.
“Hey, I thought you couldn’t read my mind!” Kara bantered, swatting her hand at Lena’s side with more force than intended. Lena just raised an appraising eyebrow, but she didn’t waver in her spot.
“You are strong.” Kara glared and Lena rolled her eyes. “I can’t. However, I can read his—he’ll be waiting to ambush you in class.” Kara groaned as she pulled off Lena’s jacket and handed it back to Lena, replacing it with her own jacket.
“So, what are you going to tell him?”
“A little help?” Kara pleaded. “What does he want to know?” Lena shook her head, grinning wickedly. “That’s no fair.”
“No, you not sharing what you know—now that’s not fair.” Lena deliberated for a moment as they walked. They stopped outside the door to Kara’s first class.
“He wants to know if we’re secretly dating, what your feelings are for me, and if you’ve kissed me yet—or if I kissed you. He also has suspicions about… what I am.” Lena finally admitted.
“Yikes,” Kara replied, trying to quell the blush. “What should I say?” Kara tried to keep her expression innocent. People were passing them on their way to class, probably staring, but Kara was barely aware of them, every sense in her body honed in on Lena Luthor.
“Hmmm.” Lena paused to catch a stray lock of hair that was escaping the bun of Kara’s hair and wound it back into place. Kara’s heart spluttered hyperactively. “I suppose you could say yes to the first… if you don’t mind—it’s easier than any other explanation.”
“I don’t mind,” Kara said faintly.
“And as far for his other questions… well, I’ll be listening to hear the answers to those ones myself.” One side of her mouth pulled up into Kara’s favorite uneven smile. Kara couldn’t catch her breath soon enough to respond to the remark. Lena turned and walked away.
“I’ll see you at lunch,” she called over her shoulder. Three people walking through the door stopped to stare at Kara.
She hurried into class, flushed. Lena was such a cheater. Kara was even more worried about what she was going to say to Winn. Kara sat in her usual seat, plopping her bag down unceremoniously. She glanced at Winn, all the way across the classroom and momentarily glad they didn’t sit next to each other in English.
“Morning, Kara.” Mike said from the seat next to Kara. She looked up to see an odd, almost resigned look on his face. “How was Port Angeles?”
“It was…” There was no honest way to sum it up. “Great,” she finished lamely. “Nia got a really cute dress and Winn got a strapping suit.”
Mr. J’onzz called the class to order then, saving Kara from further conversation with Mike as he asked for everyone to turn in their papers. English and then Government passed in a blur, while Kara worried about how to explain things to Winn and agonized over whether Lena would really be listening to what she said through the medium of Winn’s thoughts. Kara reckoned it was similar to her super-hearing, but she didn’t use it to purposely eaves drop. Most of the time, anyway.
The fog had almost dissolved by the end of the second hour, but the day was still dark with low, oppressive clouds. Kara smiled up at the dark sky for the first time ever. Lena was right, of course. When Kara walked into Trig, Winn was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off his seat in excitement. Kara braved herself as she went to sit next to him, trying to convince herself it would be better to get the grilling questions over with as soon as possible.
“Tell me everything!” he commanded before Kara was even in her seat.
“What do you want to know?” Kara asked nervously.
“What happened last night?” He was tapping his fingers against the desk, as if his excitement was too big to keep restrained in his body.
“She bought me dinner, and then she drove me home.” He playfully glared; his expression was lined with skepticism. “How did you get home so fast?”
“She drives like a maniac. Terrifying.” Kara hoped Lena heard that.
“Was it like a date—did you tell her to meet you there? Did you tell her you have feelings for her?”
Kara shook her head, the blush rearing its head again. She might turn into a tomato soon. “No—I was very surprised to see her there.” Winn wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“But she picked you up for school today?”
“Yes—that was a surprise, too. She noticed I didn’t have a jacket last night.”
“So are you going out again?” His smile was huge and dopey.
“She offered to drive me to Seattle Saturday because she thinks my truck isn’t up to it—does that count?” Kara asked nervously.
“Yes!” he nodded jubilantly, his foot tapping along excitedly.
“Well, uh, yes then?”
“W-o-w.” He exaggerated the word into three syllables. “Lena Luthor. I knew she liked you.” Kara shushed Winn.
“I know,” she agreed. “Wow” didn’t even cover it.
“Wait!” His hands flew up, palms toward Kara like he was stopping traffic. “Has she kissed you—did you kiss her?”
“No,” Kara mumbled, feeling the flush in her ears. “I’m not sure it’s like that.” Winn looked disbelieving, but Kara felt disappointed.
“Do you think Saturday…?” He raised his eyebrow, resting his head against his hand as he moved his elbow onto the table.
“I really doubt it.” The discontent in her voice was poorly disguised.
Winn waved it away. “What did you talk about?” Nia asked as she took the seat next to Winn just before class began, her smile mirroring Winn’s. Thankfully, Mr. Gand wasn’t paying close attention, and they weren’t the only ones still talking.
“I don’t know, Nia, like, lots of stuff?” she whispered back. “We talked about the English essay a little.” Very, very little. Kara remembered Lena mentioning it in passing.
“Please, Kara,” Winn begged.
“Give us some details,” Was the pleading follow up by Nia.
“Okay… I’ve got one. You should have seen the waitress flirting with her—it was over the top. But she didn’t pay any attention to the waitress at all.”
“That’s a good sign,” they both nodded. “Was she pretty?”
“Very—I think she was maybe, I don’t know, nineteen or twenty?”
“Even better! Lena must like you.” Winn pumped his fist in the air with excitement.
“I think so, but it’s hard to tell. She’s always so cryptic,” Kara threw that in for Lena’s benefit, sighing.
“I don’t know how you’re brave enough to be alone with her,” Nia breathed.
“Why?” Kara was shocked but Nia didn’t seem to understand that reaction.
“She’s so… intimidating. I wouldn’t know what to say to her. I’d probably just turn into a bumbling mess. It’s like she’s all business and no play.”
“I do have some trouble with incoherency when I’m around her,” Kara admitted, adjusting her glasses as her friends jeered quietly. “And not really all business? More like… I don’t even know, very dry sarcasm? She’s actually pretty sweet.” Most the time anyway.
“Oh well. She is unbelievably gorgeous.” Winn shrugged as if that excused any flaws. It might.
“There’s a lot more to her than that.”
“Really? Like what? You have to spill!”
Kara wished she had let it go. Almost as much as she was hoping Lena would be kidding about listening in.
“I can’t explain it right… but she’s even more unbelievable behind the face.” The vampire who wanted to be good—who ran around saving people’s lives so she wouldn’t be a monster… Kara stared toward the front of the room.
“I believe it,” Nia giggled.
Kara tried very hard to look like she was paying attention to Mr. Gand.
“So you like her, then?” Winn asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer.
“Yes,”
“I mean, do you really like her?” Kara didn’t have to look at Winn to know he was making a suggestive face.
“Yes,” Kara said again, blushing furiously. She hoped that detail wouldn’t register in his thoughts.
Winn wasn’t giving up even with Kara’s one syllable answers. “How much do you like her?”
“Too much,” Kara breathed out. “More than she likes me. But I don’t see how I can help that.” Kara sighed, one blush blending into the next. Then, thankfully, Mr. Gand called on Winn for an answer. Neither Winn nor Nia got the chance to start on the subject again during class, and as soon as the bell rang, she bolted to Spanish and took her seat next to James.
Nia seemed to catch the hint that Kara was overwhelmed with conversations on Lena, and they spent the rest of Spanish dissecting sentence structures.
Eventually the bell rang for lunch and Kara shoved her books roughly in her bag. Her uplifted expression must have tipped James off—Nia had already vacated the room.
“You’re not sitting with us today, are you?” he guessed.
“I don’t think so.” Kara couldn’t be sure that Lena wouldn’t disappear inconveniently again.
But outside the door of their Spanish class, leaning against the wall—looking more like a Greek god than anyone had a right to—Lena was waiting for Kara.
“See you later, Kara.” His voice was thick with implications as he left the room. Kara might have to turn off the ringer on her phone.
“Hello.” Her voice was amused and irritated at the same time. She had been listening, it was obvious.
“Hi.”
Kara couldn’t think of anything else to say, and Lena didn’t speak—biding her time, Kara presumed—so it was a quiet walk to the cafeteria. Walking with Lena through the crowded lunchtime rush was a lot like her first day; everyone stared.
Lena led the way into the line, still not speaking, though her eyes returned to Kara’s face every few seconds, the expression speculative. It seemed to Kara that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion on her face. Kara fidgeted nervously with the zipper on her jacket.
She stepped up to the counter and filled a tray with food.
“What are you doing?” Kara objected. “You’re not getting all that for me?” Kara could have easily eaten it all and tenfold, but Kara had a feeling Lena would pay for their lunch.
She was correct as she watched Lena step forward to pay. “Half is for me, of course.”
Kara’s eyebrows raised.
Lena led the way to the same place they’d sat that one time before. From the other end of the long table, a group of seniors gazed at them in amusement as they sat across from each other. Lena seemed oblivious.
“Take whatever you want,” she said, pushing the tray toward Kara.
“I’m curious,” Kara said as she picked up an apple, turning it around in her hands, “what would you do if someone dared you to eat food?”
“You’re always curious.” Lena grimaced, shaking her head. She glared at Kara, holding her eyes as Lena lifted the slice of pizza off the tray, and deliberately bit off a mouthful, chewed quickly, and then swallowed. Kara watched, eyes wide.
“If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn’t you?” Lena asked condescendingly.
Kara wrinkled her nose. “I did once… Alex dared me to.” she admitted. “It wasn’t… so bad.”
Lena laughed. “I suppose I’m not surprised.” Something over her shoulder seemed to catch Lena’s attention.
“Winn’s analyzing everything I do—he’ll break it down for you later.” She pushed the rest of the pizza toward Kara. The mention of Winn brought Lena’s former irritation back to her features. Kara put down the apple and took a bite of the pizza, looking away, knowing that Lena was about to start.
“So the waitress was pretty, was she?” she asked casually.
“You really didn’t notice?”
“No. I wasn’t paying attention. I had a lot on my mind.”
“Poor girl.”
“Something you said to your friends… well, it bothers me.” Lena refused to be distracted. Her voice was husky, and she glanced at Kara up from under her lashes with troubled eyes.
“I’m not surprised you heard something you didn’t like. You know what they say about eavesdroppers,” Kara teased, taking another bite of food.
Lena rolled her eyes. “I warned you I would be listening.”
“And I warned you that you didn’t want to know everything I was thinking.”
“You did,” she agreed, but her voice was still rough. “You aren’t precisely right, though. I do want to know what you’re thinking—everything. I just wish… that you wouldn’t be thinking some things.” Kara frowned.
“That’s quite a distinction.”
“But that’s not really the point at the moment.”
“Then what is?” Kara asked as they inclined toward each other across the table. Her slender white hands folded under her chin; Kara leaned forward, her right hand cupped around her neck. She had to remind herself that they were in a crowded lunchroom, with probably more curious eyes on them. It was too easy to get wrapped up in their own private, tense little bubble. Her senses seem to drown out and focus entirely on Lena when they were together. The chatter of the lunchroom wasn’t so overwhelming suddenly.
“Do you truly believe that you care more for me than I do for you?” she muttered, leaning closer to Kara as she spoke, her dark golden eyes piercings. Kara tried to remember how to exhale. She had to look away.
“You’re doing it again.” Kara mumbled, watching Lena tense slightly as the blush raced up her face.
“What?”
“Dazzling me,” Kara admitted, trying to concentrate as she looked back at Lena.
“Oh.” Lena frowned.
“It’s not—it’s not your fault,” she sighed. “You can’t help it.”
“Are you going to answer the question?”
Kara looked down, unable to look at Lena and instead busied herself with the zipper of her jacket again. “Yes.”
“Yes, you are going to answer, or yes, you really think that?” Lena was irritated again.
“Yes, I really think that.” Kara kept her eyes on the table, her eyes tracing the pattern of the faux wood grains printed on the laminate. The silence dragged on. Kara stubbornly refused to be the first to break it this time, fighting hard against the temptation to peek at her expression.
Finally, Lena spoke, voice velvet soft. “You’re wrong.” Kara glanced up to see that her eyes were gentle and green.
“You can’t know that.” Kara disagreed in a whisper. She shook her head in doubt, though her heart throbbed at Lena’s words and Kara wanted so badly to believe them.
“What makes you think so?” Her liquid moss eyes were penetrating—trying futility, Kara assumed, to lift the truth straight from her mind. Kara stared back, struggling to think clearly despite Lena’s face, to find some way to explain. As she searched for words, she could see Lena getting impatient; frustrated by Kara’s silence, she started to scowl. Kara lifted her hand from her neck and held up one finger.
“Let me think,” Kara insisted. Lena’s expression was cleared, now that she was satisfied that Kara was planning to answer. Kara dropped her hand to the table, moving her left hand so that her palms pressed together. She stared at her hands, twisting and untwisting her fingers as she finally spoke.
“Well, aside from the obvious, sometimes…” Kara hesitated. “I can’t be sure—I can’t read minds like you and I don’t like to listen in on private matters—but sometimes it seems like you’re trying to say goodbye when you’re saying… when you’re saying something else.” That was the best Kara could do to sum up the whirlwind of emotions that Lena’s words triggered in her at times.
“Perceptive,” Lena whispered, and there was that feeling again—something akin to anguish—surfacing as she confirmed Kara’s fears. “That’s exactly why you’re wrong though,” Lena began to explain, but then her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, ‘the obvious?’”
“Well, look at me,” Kara said, unnecessarily as Lena was already staring. “I’m absolutely ordinary—well, except the whole alien thing—nothing about me stands out. And look at you.” Kara waved a hand toward Lena and all her bewildering perfection. Lena’s brows creased angrily for a moment, then smoothed as her eyes took on a knowing look.
“You don’t see yourself very clearly, you know. You didn’t hear what every human male and female in this school was thinking on your first day.”
Kara blinked, astonished. “I don’t believe it…” she mumbled to herself.
“Trust me just this once—alienness aside, you are the opposite of ordinary.” Kara’s embarrassment was much stronger than her pleasure at the look that came into Lena’s eyes when she said those words. Kara quickly reminded Lena of the original topic.
“But I’m not saying goodbye,” she pointed out.
“Don’t you see? That’s what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it”—Lena shook her head, seeming to struggle with the though— “if leaving is the right thing to do, then I’ll hurt myself to keep from hurting you, to keep you safe.”
Kara glared. “And you don’t think I would do the same?”
“You’d never have to make the choice.”
Abruptly, her unpredictable mood shifted again; a mischievous, devastating smile rearranged her features. “Of course, keeping you safe seems to be a moot point now, but who knows what could happen. Something has to be able to break your skin. Not even I’m completely invulnerable. Keeping you safe from the unknown should be a full-time occupation that requires my constant presence.”
“No one has tried to do away with me today.” Kara teased gently, grateful for the lighter subject. She didn’t want Lena to talk about goodbyes anymore.
“Yet,” Lena added, still completely unconvinced that nothing here could harm Kara.
“Yet,” Kara agreed; she would have argued, but maybe if Lena kept expecting some unknown disaster—well, she wanted to keep Lena close.
“I have another question for you.” Lena’s face was still casual.
“Shoot.”
“Do you really need to go to Seattle this Saturday, or was that just an excuse to get out of saying no to all your admirers?” Kara made a face at the memory.
“I haven’t forgiven you for the Adam thing yet,” she warned, remembering that the reason Lena had caused a traffic jam was so that Adam could ask Kara out. “It’s your fault that he’s deluded himself into thinking I’m going to prom with him.”
“Oh, he would have found a chance to ask you without me—I just really wanted to watch your face,” Lena laughed, and Kara would have been angrier if her laughter wasn’t so fascinating. “If I’d asked you, would you have turned me down?” Lena asked, still laughing to herself.
“Probably not,” Kara admitted. “But I would have canceled later—faked an illness or a sprained ankle.
Lena was puzzled. “Why would you do that?”
Kara shook her head sadly. “You’ve never seen me in Gym, I guess, but I would have thought you would understand.”
“Are you referring to the fact you’re incredibly clumsy and once broke a kid’s nose by dancing?” Kara grimaced. Of course, Lena had heard that in Winn and Nia’s thoughts.
“Obviously.”
“That wouldn’t be a problem.” Lena was very confident. “It’s all in the leading. Plus, you can’t break me, Kara.” She could see that Kara was about to protest and cut her off. “But you never told me—are you resolved on going to Seattle, or do you mind if we do something different?”
As long as the “we” part was in, Kara didn’t care about anything else.
“I’m open to alternatives,” Kara allowed. “But I do have a favor to ask.” Lena looked wary, as she always did when Kara asked an open-ended question.
“What?”
“Can I drive?”
Lena frowned. “Why?”
“Well, mostly because, well, when I told Eliza I was going to Seattle, she specifically asked if I was going alone—and you know, at the time, I was. If she asked again, I probably wouldn’t lie, but I don’t think she will again, and leaving my truck at home would just bring up the subject unnecessarily. Oh, and also, because your driving is worrisome.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “Of all things about me, you’re worried about my driving.” She shook her head in amusement, but then her eyes were serious again. “Won’t you want to tell Eliza that you’re spending the day with me?” There was an undercurrent to Lena’s question that Kara didn’t understand.
“I’m not prepared for the questions.” Kara was definite about that. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“There weather will be nice, so I’ll be staying out of the public eye… and you can stay with me, if you’d like to.” Again, she left the choice up to Kara.
“And you’ll show me what you meant, about the sun?” Kara asked, excited by the idea of unraveling another one of the unknowns.
“Yes.” Lena smiled, and then paused. “But if you don’t want to be… alone with me, I’d still rather you didn’t go to Seattle by yourself. I shudder to think of the trouble you would find in a city that size.”
Kara was miffed. “National City is five times bigger than Seattle—just in population—”
“But apparently,” Lena interrupted, “trouble didn’t seek you out down in National City. So, I’d rather you stayed near me.” Her eyes did that unfair smoldering thing again.
“Reminder that I am invulnerable. But, as it happens, I don’t mind being alone with you.”
“I know,” Lena sighed, brooding. “You should tell Eliza, though.”
“Why?”
Lena’s eyes were suddenly fierce, their golden hue returning in full force. “To give me some small incentive to bring you back.
Kara rolled her eyes. “I think I’ll take my chances.”
Lena exhaled angrily and looked away.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Kara suggested.
“What do you want to talk about?” Lena asked, but she was still annoyed. Kara glanced around, making sure they were still out of anyone’s hearing. As she cast her eyes around the room, she caught the eyes of her sister, Sam, staring at her. The others were looking at Lena. Kara looked away swiftly, back to Lena, and she asked the first thing that came to mind.
“Why did you go to that Goat Rocks place last weekend… to hunt? Eliza said it wasn’t a good place to hike, because of bears.” Lena stared at Kara as if she was missing something incredibly obvious.
“Bears?” she gasped, and Lena smirked. “You know, bears are not in season.” Kara added, trying to hide her shock.
“If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons,” she informed Kara.
Lena watched her face with enjoyment as that slowly sank in.
“Bears?” She repeated with difficulty.
“Grizzly is Jack’s favorite.” Her voice was still offhand, but her eyes were scrutinizing Kara’s reaction. She tried to pull herself together.
“Hmmm.” Kara sounded, taking another bite of food as an excuse to look down. She chewed slowly, and then took a long drink of Coke without looking up.
“So,” she said after a moment, finally meeting Lena’s now anxious gaze. “What’s your favorite?”
Lena raised an eyebrow and the corners of her mouth turned down in disapproval. “Mountain lion.”
“Ah,” Kara said in a politely disinterested tone, looking for her soda again.
“Of course,” Lena said, and her tone mirrored Kara’s, “we have to be careful not to impact the environment with injudicious hunting. We try to focus on areas with an overpopulation of predators—ranging as far away as we need. There’s always plenty of deer and elk here, and they’ll do, but where’s the fun in that?” she smiled teasingly.
“Where indeed,” Kara mumbled around another bite of food.
“Early spring is Jack’s favorite bear season—they’re just coming out of hibernation, so they’re more irritable.” She smiled at some remembered joke.
“Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear,” Kara agreed, nodding. Lena snickered, shaking her head.
“Tell me what you’re really thinking, please,”
“I’m trying to picture it—but I can’t,” Kara admitted. “How do you hunt a bear without weapons? I mean, I imagine it’s similar to my power set, but I’ve never hunted a bear…”
“Oh, we have weapons.” Lena flashed her bright teeth in a brief, threatening smile. “Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you’ve ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Jack hunting.”
Kara couldn’t help but shake her head and peeked across the cafeteria toward Jack, grateful that he wasn’t looking her way. The thick bands of muscle that wrapped his arms and torso were somehow even more menacing now.
Lena followed her gaze and chuckled. Kara stared at her, unnerved.
“Are you like a bear, too?” Kara asked in a low voice.
“More like the lion, or so they tell me,” She said lightly. “Perhaps our preferences are indicative.”
Kara tried to smile. “Perhaps,” she repeated, but her mind was filled with opposing images that she couldn’t merge together. “Is that something I might get to see?”
“Absolutely not!” Lena’s face turned even whiter than usual, and her eyes were suddenly furious. Kara leaned back, stunned. Lena leaned back as well, folding her arms across her chest. Kara had to force herself to look away as her prominent breasts were put more on display.
“Too scary for me?” Kare asked when she had control over her voice again.
“If that were it, I would take you out tonight,” Lena responded, her voice cutting. “You need a healthy dose of fear. Nothing could be more beneficial for you.”
Kara gave her a level look. “Then why?” she pressed, trying to ignore Lena’s angry expression. She glared at Kara for a long moment.
“Later,” she finally said. Lena was on her feet in one lithe movement. “We’re going to be late.”
Kara glanced around, startled to see that Lena was right and the cafeteria was nearly vacant. When she was with Lena, the time and the place were such a muddled blur that Kara completely lost track of both. She jumped up and grabbed her backpack from the back of her chair.
“Later, then.” She agreed. Kara wouldn’t forget.