Chapter Text
“Miss Luthor, Kara Danvers is here to see you.” Her secretary Jess’ familiar voice rang through the line. Strange, she thought, I don’t remember us having a meeting set up. Regardless of the sporadic visit, Lena would never turn down time with the reporter. Even if it was always work related and Kara was coming for the sole purpose of getting a quote for her next article, Lena couldn’t say no to her.
After telling Jess to send her in, she quickly checked her hair to make sure it was still tightly secured in its sleek ponytail and adjusted her black blazer over her blouse, smoothing down her skirt as well. Wanting to seem as natural as possible, Lena focused back on the paperwork she had been going over as Kara came in with a small knock on the door.
“Lena, hi. Sorry for just dropping by like this.” Lena looked up from her files and couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. Lena always found the reporter to be charmingly adorable, in her fitted pants and cardigans that she seemed to love so much. “Are you busy?”
“You know I always have time for the best reporter in town.” Kara flushed at the compliment, the rosy blush standing out on her cheeks. “Come in, make yourself comfortable.” Kara sat across from her in her usual spot as Lena waited. She seemed hesitant to say whatever it was she came to say, fidgeting in her seat and looking anywhere but at Lena.
Lena could tell she was nervous about something by the way she kept adjusting her glasses and played with the hem of her cardigan. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting? Working on your next big article?” Lena encouraged.
“Uh, well — no, not exactly. This is actually a more…personal visit I guess?” Now that was interesting. Of course, Lena and Kara were on friendly terms at this point, but Kara had never shown up in her office under the pretense of anything but work before. Lena couldn’t help but feel a little excited over whatever this was.
“It’s just that, well, my family always has this annual fourth of July party and it’s like a really big deal for us. We do it every year and invite everyone over for a cook-out and there’s fireworks and swimming and this really big jumping castle for the kids that I used to love when I was younger, but now I obviously can’t really use it, you know since I’m an adult and all.” her ramble was followed by a nervous giggle, which Lena had to admit was quite cute, but also she hadn’t been able to follow a word Kara said. Why was she telling Lena about her family’s fourth of July celebration?
“So anyways, it’s a lot of fun but also a little stressful, you know?” Lena nodded as if she had any clue what Kara was talking about. “I mean everyone’s always asking me if I’ve met anyone yet and it’s easy to say I’m focusing on school or work but now it’s getting a little harder and my mom, who is actually wonderful most of the time, is really pressuring me lately to start dating and- “
“Whoa Kara, slow down.” Lena interrupted, bringing the girl to a halt. As much as she enjoyed listening to Kara talk, she did still have other work and meetings to get through today and all this confusion was starting to give her a headache. “I’m sorry, but, what is all this about?”
After a deep breath, Kara seemed to nod to herself in determination. Sitting up straighter, she looked Lena in the eye. “I’m asking you to come home with me as my girlfriend.”
Well, that wasn’t at all what she expected. Lena could feel her heart trying to beat out of her chest at the word girlfriend. She wasn’t even paying attention to the absurdity of the whole situation, just the fact that sweet, beautiful, brilliant Kara Danvers was apparently asking Lena to be her girlfriend. Sure, they’d never even been on a date or had anything besides a professional relationship and maybe friendship between them, but who cared? Lena sure didn’t.
“You would of course be my pretend girlfriend but I really think you’d be the best candidate for it.” Kara rushed to assure her, as if being a pretend girlfriend would ease whatever tension had suddenly come over Lena. “All you would have to do is come home with me for a few days, pretend to be into me around my family, then you’d be free to go. I know it’s really weird and sort of creepy to ask of you but…what do you think?”
Pretend? She wants me to be her fake girlfriend? Just like that, Lena felt the disappointment. Of course, Kara Danvers wasn’t actually asking her out, it was just a favor. In Lena’s position, being the CEO of a corporation as big as L-Corp was, people have always asked her for things. Money, possessions, whatever they thought they could get out of her, but this was by far the strangest thing anyone’s ever asked her for.
Lena didn’t have a response for it. Should she say no? Obviously, that would be the only logical answer. But there was also a part of her, despite the ache of it all, that really wanted to just make Kara happy. It was a bizarre situation, but what could it really hurt?
“Lena, are you okay?” Kara was starting to fidget in her seat again, a worried frown set on her face as she waited for Lena to just say something. “Listen, just forget I even said anything, okay? That was completely unprofessional and I totally understand if you’re upset. I’ll just go.” Kara was getting up to make a hasty retreat, throwing her bag over her shoulder and pacing towards the door.
“Kara, wait.”
She paused at the door, ready to be scolded by Lena. It had seemed like a good idea when she’d thought it up last night, but after seeing Lena’s reaction she wasn’t so confident. Lena would probably want a restraining order after this mess and Kara totally wouldn’t blame her.
Lena seemed to have gained control of herself and sat stoic in her chair, her face set in a neutral mask. “Give me the day to think about it and I’ll let you know. Deal?”
“Oh! Are you sure, Lena? You don’t have to, I swear I won’t bring it up again if you just say no.”
Just say no, tell her absolutely not. “I will consider it.” Even if that was the dumbest decision Lena had ever made, she couldn’t even be upset about it when Kara’s whole face lit up like that and the next thing Lena knew, she was enveloped in a warm hug.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know you haven’t even said yes but, you have no idea what this means to me.“ Kara was still squeezing her tightly as she thanked her. By the time Kara let her go, she felt light headed and was wearing her own dopey smile.
Kara rushed out soon after, saying that she needed to get back to work before Snapper noticed she’d left. Lena assured her she’d call later with her final answer, even though there was really no point to that. Lena knew she was going to agree to it, no matter how odd it was. Kara practically had her wrapped around her finger at this point.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, Lena figured, being Kara Danvers fake girlfriend and all. She would be helping her friend out and if it meant spending extra time with her, then it was just a win-win situation.