steam - a supercorp au

chapter eleven

7:37
"James!" Kara called, her voice shaking, walking after him down the apartment hallway. He didn't answer, so she called again, louder, "James!" Once again, no response.
She stopped in her tracks, and yelled, "James, please!"
He spun on his heels. "What the hell do you want?"
She gave him a pleading look. Her hair fell in her face, and she blew the strands away. "To talk."
He scoffed, adjusting his bag and bitterly replying, "so now you want to talk."
"James, I-"
"-you know, I really thought we were close. I told you everything, Kara," he sighed, "everything! I told you about Lucy, I told you about my father, but the one time you have something important in your life, radio silence! Our friendship didn't even cross your mind!"
Kara blinked. A running pipe from an apartment stairs was the only sound in her ears, a bright bright red the only tint in her eyes. Carefully thinking out an answer, she stared at him, her head tilted in outrage. "Our friendship didn't cross my mind?" She emphasized each word with such force that James couldn't help but step back. "You're right, James. It didn't cross my mind. Because I was so incredibly busy grappling with the realization that I was gay that I wasn't thinking about you!" She was walking closer and closer to him each second, and her voice was increasingly hostile and sarcastic. "You can't possibly comprehend how difficult this was! That-that for the first time in my life, my insides were being twisted and my heart ached for a girl. Not a guy, but a girl. I've never felt this way with any one, I never felt this way with-"
She paused, the contrast between her screaming and the silence crystal clear. James looked into her eyes, and he could see the shattered pain coursing through her body. "I never felt this way with Mike," she choked out. Her eyes filled with tears. "I love her, James. So I'm sorry that I didn't make sure that was okay with you first." She spat those final words out as if they were poison. And then, she turned around and walked back to Winn's apartment.
---
10:02
"And, I win again," Lena said smugly, making it rain with her Monopoly cash. Winn had his head in his hands, Maggie was angrily sipping her whiskey, Alex was staring at the board in shock.
"That- that's three times in a row," Winn whispered, his coffee-colored eyes darting around the board. "How did you beat me- how did you manage to beat Maggie?"
Maggie furrowed her brow in agreement, her face shining from stress and her eyes glassy from the whiskey. "I really thought I was the best Monopoly player."
"Nope!" Kara grinned, nudging Lena with her shoulder. "Lena's basically the best Monopoly player in the world. That's a fact."
"Well, I wouldn't say the best," Lena replied humbly, rolling her eyes, "but thank you, Kara."
"Aww," Winn mused, his chin resting on his fingers, delicately circling his beer. "You two are so cute."
Kara kissed her girlfriend's cheek, scrunching up her nose at Winn. "Speaking of love lives," she mused, "how's yours? Did you finally ask out that girl?"
"What girl?" Alex gasped jokingly, much to Winn's chagrin.
"Thanks a lot, Kara," he mumbled, taking a sip of his drink. He ran his hands through his messy mop of brown hair, and said quietly, "but no, I haven't asked her out yet."
Maggie took another large sip of her whiskey, and blurted, "what's her name? What's she- what's she look like?"
Laughing, Alex slowly dragged her drink away, teasing, "I think you've had enough, babe."
"I can't believe Maggie Sawyer, badass detective, is a lightweight," Kara giggled. "But then again, so are you, Alex!"
"Which is why I've been sticking to water tonight," she admitted, getting up to leave Maggie's whiskey on the counter. "What's your excuse?"
Kara sheepishly glanced at her own water glass. "After that night at Loerd, I'm not drinking for a while."
Everyone laughed, and Kara leaned back in her chair, wincing at the memory of that hangover.
No one cares, she suddenly realized. No one cares that I'm dating a girl. No one said a single thing- except for James. Her smile faded, but just for a second. She watched Alex hold Maggie in her arms, Winn begin to tell a story about the night he went clubbing, Lena grasp her fingers beneath the table. Everything was fine. She was fine. Her life was a little bit brighter, their family was a little bit closer.
"Anyways," Kara yawned, a grin playing on her lips, "I think it's time we go home. And Alex, you should probably get Maggie home. She's eyeing that whiskey bottle."
"Am not!" Maggie muttered, pouting.
"Thank you for having me over, Winn," Lena said, standing up to embrace him and smiling. "I had a wonderful time."
"It was fun," he responded, then leaning in- "you have to teach me how to win at Monopoly. Sawyer won't know what hit her."
With a nod, Lena closed the door, listening to the chain latch behind her. She and Kara interlocked as they walked down the hall behind Alex, who was carrying Maggie in her arms.
"I like your friends," Lena sighed, kissing Kara's forehead.
"I do, too."

A/N: hi! So I think this story is wrapping up soon enough :( BUT, let me know if you want anything else to happen before the end, AND if you want a sequel, or a different AU!! Comment your thoughts :D