"We need a round of shots over here!" Winn frantically waves his hands above his head to get the bartender's attention.
Kara yells into Winn's ear, "I think we've all had plenty! Quit ordering!"
"Come on, Kara! Let loose. We are celebrating!" James shouts back. "It's not everyday that I land a photography job with one of the biggest media conglomerates on the coast!"
Kara sighs softly before she beams at him, so proud of her friend for pursuing his dream and getting it. She nods her head in understanding and takes a deep breath, preparing herself to rally for an even longer night. She was already feeling well past tipsy and bordering on sloppy drunk.
She didn't even realize that the bartender had already finished pouring their shooters until Nia and Alex crowd the space around the bar. They each take a shot glass and hold it up, waiting for Kara to take hers. Kara rolls her eyes playfully and gingerly holds hers up with only a few fingers. They clink it all together with a cheer to James before downing it. Only Winn and Kara grimace at the taste and quickly swallow a chaser; the rest move back to the dance floor.
Kara leans back against the bar with her elbows propping her up as Winn makes for the DJ to either ask about the equipment or request a few songs. She laughs at her friends' horrid dancing skills. Normally, she would be out there in the thick of it, but she needs a breather after the tequila sloshing in her stomach. Her leather jacket almost feels suffocating, but she doesn't dare take it off.
She lets her eyes wander, taking in the scene. Her eyes lock onto a situation that immediately makes the hair on her arms stand up. Just on the other end of the bar, there is a beautiful woman surrounded by men that just keep feeding her drinks. She is clearly inebriated and should have been cut off long ago. The men are well within her personal space and eyeing her in a way that is predatory.
Come on, Kara, she might know them. She might even be with friends. Not everyone has ill intent. I'm sure she is fine. She must be here with people who are looking out for her. Kara is staring at them without any subtly with a pronounced crinkle in her brow when her sister approaches.
"Hey, sis! Come join us!" Alex yells drunkenly. "Winn just asked for a bunch of Britney songs!"
"Do you think she is okay? Should we do something?" Kara shouts while nodding her head at the raven-haired beauty.
Alex sighs once she takes in the situation. "Kara, just leave it alone. I'm sure she's okay, and she probably knows them. Not everyone is a damsel in distress. And even if she is, all she has to do is ask for help from literally anyone in here."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Kara mumbles. Alex tries to pull Kara out to the dance floor, but Kara just shakes her head and stays rooted to the bar. She's feeling too tipsy to go out to the dance floor right now. She laughs hysterically at her sister as she makes a fool over herself dancing back to their friends.
Kara turns back to face the bar and asks for a glass of water to try to sober herself up a bit. She watches the situation not even 15 feet from her out of the corner of her eye. She can't let go of her train of thought. What if she doesn't know them? What if by me not doing something, something awful happens to her? What's the worst case scenario if I do intervene? If she knows them and isn't as drunk as she looks, it's not like I will have done anything wrong.
With conviction, Kara decides to take action and slams her now empty glass down on the bar. She wanders over to the huddle of men surrounding the woman. Kara unfortunately doesn't have to act all that drunk as she quite literally stumbles into the group.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Kara exclaims. She pulls back to look the woman in the eye. It's almost like a record scratching happens in her brain, and she nearly forgets what she was there to do. Before anyone can interrupt, she tacks on, "Oh my goodness! I haven't seen you in ages!" She quickly wraps the woman in a hug watching the reaction of the men surrounding them both now. She can tell that they are confused and a bit annoyed with her interruption. Kara whispers in her ear, "If you need help, go along with it."
"Darling! It's so good to see you!" the raven-haired woman replies in an Irish accent. Lena pulls out of the hug but clings to Kara's hand as she starts tugging. "I really must go to the loo. Come with me so we can catch up!"
"We'll be right back, boys," Kara says with a giggle to dispel any suspicion. The men's scowls shift into little smirks; no doubt thinking they will get to bring two women home instead of just one.
As soon as the women push their way into the bathroom, Lena clutches onto one of the sinks to stay upright. She looks wobbly at best and screws her eyes shut to try to center herself. Kara rushes to her side to block her from the other patrons filtering in and out.
"Are you okay?" Kara asks lightly.
"No- yes- kind of," Lena responds with her eyes still firmly shut. "I'm having a terrible case of the spins, but it will pass. I should get some water."
"I'll be right back." Kara feels awful for leaving the drunk woman unattended but knows this is best. She rushes to the bar and tips the bartender well for the speedy serving of a glass of water so she can hurry back into the bathroom. Kara lets out a breath of relief to see the woman undisturbed. She slips behind her and stays off to the side. She taps her shoulder with a soft, "Here you go."
"Thank you, darling." Green eyes open slowly so she can take it and chug the water quickly.
Kara blushes at the pet name and scuffs her feet against the floor. "It's Kara, actually."
"I'm Lena." She looks up through the mirror to smile softly at her savior. "And thank you for the rescue. I tried to get out of their grasp a few times to no avail."
Kara stare is intense and consuming. "No thanks necessary, Lena. I'm glad I was able to help. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should."
"Well, I'm very happy that you did." They just stare at each other for a few moments that feel loaded and thick with meaning. Both are probably a little too drunk to trust their own interpretations.
"Do you have a safe way of getting home?" Kara breaks the silence. "Do you have any friends with you who could take you?"
The light in Lena's eyes dim just a bit and her jaw clenches. "I'm sure Andrea and Veronica already left, but it's okay. I'll just order a Lyft." As Lena tries to step away to leave, she sways a bit and has to hold the wall.
Kara's hands jerk out just in case she needs to catch her. Concern is laced in her voice, "That's not wise. I saw those guys; they won't give up that easily. They were eyeing me at the bar when I went out for the water. They did not look like they were having... gentlemanly conversations."
"I'll be okay, Kara," Lena insists.
Kara huffs a bit. This woman is certainly stubborn. "Well, I was about to leave anyway. We can just get a Lyft together. I'll be a perfect gentlewoman and make sure you get home safe." Kara fibs just a bit to make sure nothing else happens to Lena, but she is ready to turn in for the night anyways. She had been ready for a while.
"There is no stopping you, is there?" The corner of Lena's mouth twitches up just a bit, bordering on a teasing smirk.
Kara preens internally that she's winning this little battle. "I'm afraid not!"
Lena takes a deep breath. Kara can't tell if it's to prepare for facing the men out there or if it's to try to clear her system a bit from the influence of alcohol. She waits patiently for Lena before wrapping her arm around the woman's waist. Lena's arm snakes around Kara in response as she leans heavily into the blonde for balance.
They both do their very best to ignore and avoid the men that have been waiting for them. Unfortunately, this group of neanderthals doesn't know better. One dares to try to grab Lena by her arm to pull her back.
"Where are you going?" he practically growls.
Kara is quick to place herself in front of the stranger with Lena at her back. She stands tall, crosses her arms over her chest, and suddenly becomes extremely imposing. She says firmly but quietly, "We are going home. If you have a problem with that, I'm sure I can get the bouncer over here."
Lena just stares with her mouth agape at the blonde woman. She just witnessed someone so kind and gentle and feminine shift into something absolutely ferocious in the blink of an eye. Lena, being the raging lesbian she is, can't help but feel just a little bit turned on by the event. She normally hates when people try to 'defend her honor' but surprisingly, she doesn't mind Kara doing it. She didn't mind the care and attention and touching either. Before she can register any more of the interaction, she is being pulled along and meets the cold air on the street.
As drunk as she is, she doesn't necessarily feel the cold, but her body still shivers. Kara, as observant as she is, shrugs off her leather jacket and gently places it over the woman's shoulders. As soon as the warmth hits her, Lena pulls the jacket closer around her and inhales the intoxicating scent of vanilla. Lena stumbles a bit walking to the curb, and the blonde puts a sturdy arm around her waist. Consciously or unconsciously, she will never know, but Lena leans into the warmth and strength of the woman next to her.
Kara just smiles softly at Lena. She doesn't miss the fact that Lena is blatantly sniffing her jacket or slightly blushing. Kara hopes that she is the reason for her blush and not embarrassment from the stumble. Kara once again gets lost in Lena's presence for a few moments before jumping back into action.
"What is your address so I can order the Lyft?" Kara asks quietly.
"I'm actually staying at the National City Hotel."
"Oh! Are you not from around here?" Kara subconsciously starts rubbing small circles into Lena's hip with her thumb as she orders the car.
"I've been living here for about 8 months actually."
"Why in a hotel, then? That's not very homey."
"I didn't know that I was staying for this long. When I came here, I didn't know if I would want to put down roots. I didn't know if I would find any reason to be here, if.."
"If what?" Kara prods gently.
"If I'd find my people..." Lena says almost as a whisper. The combination of being drunk and feeling protected by this stranger is making her reveal things that she has never admitted to another soul. Lena has always struggled to find true friends. After all, Veronica and Andrea left her unattended at the bar with no consideration of her safety. Her family is a nightmare. She's never really had anyone looking out for her interests without an agenda. Her plan was to only stay for a month or two before jetting off to another city to rinse and repeat.
"That sounds awfully lonely, Lena. I promised to be a proper gentlewoman, and I intend to be one. If you would prefer not to be on your own tonight, you are more than welcome to stay with me at my apartment. That was a lot, and you shouldn't have to be alone."
Lena opens her mouth to answer, but the honking of a car horn interrupts her. Their Lyft driver confirms their information and takes off towards the hotel. The women ride in silence in the backseat. Lena stares out the window, and Kara sneaks glances at the mysterious woman next to her. She seems withdrawn and a bit somber. Kara wants nothing more than to know what's going through the ravenette's head.
As the driver pulls up to the front of the hotel, Lena starts to shrug off Kara's jacket to return. Kara stops her movement by gently resting her hand on top of Lena's.
"Keep it.. for now. I don't want you getting sick from being cold."
Lena looks at her with an unreadable expression. Her eyes flit back and forth, clearly studying the blue eyes in front of her.
"Give me your phone," Lena finally says with conviction. Kara gives a confused look, so she follows it up with a soft, "Please?"
Kara quickly scurries to obey. She's not sure she could ever deny this woman's requests. She hands it over while holding back the questions she's burning to ask. After a brief moment of Lena typing on her phone, Kara hears a notification ding.
"Well, Kara, thank you for your assistance. Call me when you want your jacket back." As Kara focuses on the phone to look at the text Lena sent to herself, Lena sneaks a gentle kiss on her cheek. As Kara's head shoots up with the brief contact of soft lips, she can only watch Lena climb out of the car and walk a little clumsily into the hotel lobby.
It isn't until there is a gentle clearing of a throat from the driver that Kara provides her address to the Lyft driver. As she looks at her phone, she smiles at the Lena Luthor contact with a green heart after her name. While she was still admittedly a bit drunk, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She's never been more happy about meddling back at the bar. As she makes her way into her apartment, her phone starts to ring. For a split second, she thought it might be Lena, but that is quickly dashed when she sees her sister's name instead.
"Kara! Where did you go?!"
"Shoot... Sorry, Alex. I left, and I actually just got home."
"Well, I figured that out, thanks! What happened?" Alex's snarkiness is showing. Normally, they tell each other when someone is leaving to ensure everyone makes it to their intended destination.
"Remember that woman I pointed out? It turns out she did need some help. I made sure she got home safe."
"Karaaaaaa," Alex whines. "Can't you ever take a night off from your savior complex? Ugh! I'll see you tomorrow. I'm glad you are safe!"
"Bye, Alex. You stay safe, too. Let me know when you get home."
Kara collapses on her bed, briefly wondering how Lena is doing before falling asleep almost immediately. While she dreams of green eyes, black hair, and a gentle kiss on her cheek, Lena is taking a hot bath to scrub herself raw from the feeling of the men's wandering hands, unwanted advances, and disgusting smells.
************************
Kara - My Hero
Good morning, Lena! How are you feeling today?
[9:27am]
Lena Luthor 💚
Hey, Kara. I'm doing okay. Would you like your jacket back?
[9:39am]
Kara - My Hero
I'm happy you are okay. Anything I can do to change it to doing good? And you can keep it for a bit. Just keep it warm for me ;)
[9:40am]
Lena gulps. She doesn't quite know how to respond. Clearly, Kara is flirting. Or is she? Lena has an urge to just tell Kara everything that was running through her
mind last night... and that scares her. Being a Luthor means keeping secrets and staying detached. It means pushing through completely on her own... alone. Plus, she shouldn't bother the blonde woman any more than she already did last night. She's already done enough.
Lena rolls over in her giant, hotel bed and lets out a heavy sigh. She can't get involved with Kara. She slowly climbs out and forces herself to get ready for the day. Lena pauses for a split second by the door. She doesn't give herself time to think about it too hard as she slips on the black leather jacket that was just a bit big for her. She inhales the scent of vanilla again and smiles to herself. She is going to give herself this one day to indulge. Then she is going to insist that she returns it. But first, coffee.
************************
"Tall caramel mocha, extra whip for Kara!"
Lena whips her head around with her eyes wide in sheer panic. Logically, she knows that there are other Kara's in the world, but somehow her heart knows that it's her. Naturally, she just has to be in the vicinity of the woman that she just convinced herself that she can't get involved with. She tries to hide behind some of the others in line when she catches sight of the bubbly blonde. She tracks the woman to a table with a redhead with short hair. Lena slumps a little at the sight of Kara hugging and laughing with the mystery woman. They seem rather... close... with each other.
"Americano triple shot of espresso for Lena!"
Lena physically cringes and silently curses herself for choosing the same coffee shop as her savior. She hurriedly grabs her order and bolts out of the coffee shop. Just as she pulls the door open, she can hear a voice call out, "Lena?"
Lena slips out and merges with a crowd to put as much distance as she can between her and the coffee shop. Lena hardly understands why she is reacting this way. She did give herself today to indulge, so shouldn't she be indulging in the happenstance meeting? And she actually liked Kara last night and seriously thought about going to Kara's apartment instead of going to the hotel room on her own. Maybe she would have actually slept if she had indulged in a one night stand. Her mother's voice filters into her brain unsolicited that it's 'unbecoming' to engage in such 'primal' behavior. Lena shakes herself out of the famous rant of Lillian Luthor when she hears her phone ding with a notification.
Kara - My Hero
You didn't happen to be at Noonan's just now, were you? I could have sworn I saw you, but maybe it was just wishful thinking :)
[10:53am]
Lena Luthor 💚
No, I wasn't, but maybe I can meet you there sometime? As a thank you for being my knight in black leather.
[11:01am]
Lena notices that her hands are shaking after pushing send on that last text. Lena accosts herself for reaching out like that. She knows better than to get close to anyone.
Kara - My Hero
I would love that, but seriously, no thanks necessary. I'm just happy I was able to do something.
[11:01am]
Lena Luthor 💚
Well, doing something meant a lot to me. And I would like to show my appreciation.
[11:05am]
Kara - My Hero
Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse? :) Just text me when you are free.
[11:05am]
Kara - My Hero
Lena, I'm seriously happy that you are okay and safe. Just know that I'm here, if you need anything.
[11:06am]
Lena tears up. Even via text, she knows that Kara is being genuine and caring and everything that Lena cannot handle right now... especially when she knows she doesn't deserve it. Lena shoves her phone back in her pocket and goes about her day.
Kara holds onto her phone for most of the day, hoping that she will get another notification. Sometimes she feels a phantom buzz and checks repeatedly to see if she missed a notification, but there's nothing. Kara feels a strange pull of attraction to the seemingly lonely woman who she met last night. Even if it is only as friends, Kara just wants to get to know her better, be her friend. The day passes quickly, and Kara crashes early for the night, knowing she has a long day at work the next day.
Lena Luthor 💚
Missed call - 2:06am
Kara wakes up at the tail end of her phone vibrating on her nightstand and just misses the call. Seeing who it was, she quickly redials. She hears hysterical sobbing on the line.
"Kara! Help....me.....please."