forgot to upload this oh man, sorry! hope you all enjoy - & as always, thanks for reading!

When Lena returns to work it is, at first, like nothing has changed after her weekend away.

Jess greets her with the usual cup of black coffee in hand, drilling off Lena's agenda with impressive precision; once Lena is situated at her desk, caffeinated and prepared to tackle the first task of the day, there is one miniscule difference.

She thinks about Kara Danvers.

Wonders, really, about what her second assistant is up to. Not in a manner of what job Jess has her handling this morning, but in a more personal sense. She wonders what Kara's day-to-day routine is like above all else—if it's different because she has a roommate, or if it's as quiet and lonely as Lena's mornings are.

Lena could ask, but…it would be silly. Of course it's silly. She internally berates herself for even thinking it.

A knock at her door reluctantly pulls her away from her computer. "Jess?"

"Ms. Luthor." Jess stands at her door, clipboard hugged to her chest. The only break in her professional mask is a troubled crinkle at the side of her mouth, almost as if she's pained. "A Mrs. Danvers requests ten minutes of your time. I figured you might want to speak to her."

"Mrs. Danvers," Lena echoes. "Would that be…Ms. Danvers's mother or sister?"

"Her sister, ma'am," Jess says. "Shall I show her in?" The composure of her expression cracks at last; sympathy is written all over her face.

"Yes, that's fine," Lena says, unconsciously straightening her posture. "Um. Is Ms. Danvers—" She stops. "Kara. Is she here yet?"

"No, she's due in the office at eight," Jess says. "Should I call her and ask her to come in early?"

Lena absolutely will not be that person. She is trying to make an effort, here—and that includes allowing her employees (and her fake fiancé) to come in at a more reasonable hour. "No, of course not," she says. "Just…call Mrs. Danvers in."

Jess briskly nods. "Right away."

There is barely a moment to prepare before Alex Danvers arrives, hands tucked into her jacket pockets in an almost sheepish manner. Jess informs Alex that she has ten minutes—no more and no less—and tells Lena she will come directly afterward to prep her for her board meeting at ten.

And then she leaves them alone. Lena is still sitting awkwardly behind her desk; Alex has to cross the room to stand before her. Normally Lena would be the first to speak if someone enters her office, distractedly inquiring as to the reason of their visit without really listening, but the uncomfortable look on Alex's face quiets that urge today.

Alex clears her throat. "Ms. Luthor, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something," she says at last. "I don't know if Kara told you that I called her last night. No, of course she would, you two are…" She trails off. "Anyway. I'm here to apologize to you."

Lena clears her throat. "Thank you, Mrs. Danvers, but it's alright. I understand that you were being protective of your sister."

"I was," Alex says, immediately. "But it wasn't the time or place to address it. I just didn't want to see Kara hurt again, so…I lashed out. And I'm very sorry for the way I acted."

Now, Lena is nothing if not a pragmatist. The only logical way to respond would to be accept the apology without question because that is the role she is expected to play: that of the polite sister-in-law. But her curiosity wins out.

"Kara didn't tell me you called," Lena says. "Actually, she doesn't tell me much about you beyond the fact that you're just protective of her. It must have been for the sake of not hurting my feelings that she didn't say anything, so let me ask you, Mrs. Danvers—what did you tell Kara last night?"

Alex, to her credit, does not rise to the underlying frustration in Lena's voice. "I asked her if it was real," she says. "I asked her if she was really marrying you because she loves you, or if it's to prove she's over her ex. And then when she told me she was, I promised her I would come and apologize to you personally."

Her ex? Lena briefly recalls Kara mentioning that she had been in a relationship a year ago. She can't imagine why Alex would think Kara wouldn'tbe over it by now.

"Well," is all Lena can say. "Thank you, for doing that for her."

"Of course." Alex appears begrudgingly appeased. "No matter the kind of person you are, if you love my sister then—I think I might have been too hasty to judge you."

Lena crosses her arms, interest piqued. "And how have you decided to judge me now?"

"I'm still making up my mind," Alex says, curt and honest, and Lena decides that she admires Alex Danvers.

"I admire your conviction," Lena says. She holds out her hand and continues, "Thank you for stopping by."

Alex gives her a funny look as she shakes her hand. "Thanks for hearing me out," she says. "I'd better run. My class starts in half an hour."

"Of course. Jess will show you out," Lena says. She's mystified by Alex, but even more puzzled by Kara. It seems as though she's not the open book she swears she is.

Jess comes knocking at her door soon enough. "Ms. Luthor? Are you ready?"

"Yes, come in." Lena takes out the paperwork she's meant to be studying, but it may as well be nothing but hieroglyphics on the pages. "Jess—I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, but the packet of information you gave Kara about me. How did you…"

"I've been your assistant for a long time," Jess says, unfazed. "I'm very observant."

"Right. And would you say you are equally observant when it comes to Kara?" Lena asks, carefully, but Jess doesn't even bat an eye.

"I know some things." Jess frowns, just the slightest. "Should I push your ten?"

"No. No, I was just…curious." Lena reluctantly goes back to the paperwork. "Maybe we can revisit the topic."

Jess nods. "Sure," she says, then snaps her clipboard to the side. "Shall we?"

Lena resigns herself to her fate: she is out of sorts, and can't figure out why.

.

.

.

When Kara gets to her desk, Jess is already waiting for her.

There is a cup of coffee sitting on Kara's desk that is still warm, and a bag that looks like it holds some sort of breakfast bread, but Jess appears unruffled; there is not one hair out of place, almost as if she hasn't been bustling around for at least an hour before Kara's arrival.

"Kara, I'm going in to take notes on Ms. Luthor's meeting with the shareholders for L-Tech," Jess says in lieu of a greeting. "I need you to answer calls."

"Yes, calls, got it," Kara says, dropping her bag. Jess is already moving away, so Kara calls belatedly after her, "Um, thanks for the coffee!"

"That wasn't me," is the clipped reply she gets. Jess disappears into Lena's office down the hall without another word—and without a good morning like usual.

It must be an off day for her. Kara shrugs and begins to set up, thinking that she'll buy Jess lunch later to cheer her up.

Meanwhile…she takes a sip of the coffee waiting for her. It's more bitter than she's used to, but really good.

This morning looks like it's going to be a slow one, so she's a bit more relaxed as she fixes her headset into place. She's only just begun to click through Jess's notes when the ding of the elevator surprises her; Jess hadn't mentioned another appointment.

Some mannerisms must just run among family, because the rapid click of heels down the hallway is reminiscent to Lena. But it's Lillian Luthor who approaches Kara, strutting down the hallway as if she owns the building and Kara is helpless to do anything but gape.

"Kara Danvers, I assume," Lillian says, coming to an abrupt stop at Kara's desk.

"Yes…" Kara is unsure if she's allowed to talk to Lena's mother. She's not even sure if Lillian is allowed to be here at all. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Luthor?"

Lillian ignores the question. "You're a hard person to investigate, Ms. Danvers," she says. "You have no criminal records to speak of. Not even a driving infringement."

"Well I don't usually drive, so…" Kara trails off at the annoyed look Lilian immediately dons. (Right, she needs to stop interrupting the Luthor women. No one does that.)

"Rest assured, I know plenty about you anyway," Lillian sniffs. "Your sister is a kindergarten teacher. Your sister-in-law is a cop. And your mother—why, she's unemployed, isn't she? Poor thing. Layoffs in the school district are quite common."

Kara blinks at her. "I'm…not sure I follow."

It's the wrong thing to say. Lillian's eyes narrow coldly, almost as if she is insulted. "You can cut the act," she snaps. "Whatever my daughter is paying you, I'll double it."

By all accounts, that is an odd sentence to hear. But Kara's sleepless, early-morning-tired mind seemingly loses the ability to read between the lines, and what she ends up replying is, "Um, that's a kind offer, but I'm happy working here."

Lilian smiles thinly, making it clear that she is wholly unamused. "Let me rephrase that," she says sharply, exactly the same way as she would've said let me dumb this down for you. "However much money Lena is paying you to act like her fiancé, I'll double it."

A burst of awkward laughter comes out before Kara can stop it. "That's—funny. Wow, Lena never told me you were funny."

The thin, cold smile on Lillian's face twists into a sneer. "Don't waste my time, Ms. Danvers," she says. "Are you aware how this will look? My daughter is a fool if she thinks this will work out. When she's found out she will disgrace the Luthor name, and you—well. I don't have to tell youthat you would be committing fraud, do I?"

Kara resists the urge to admit she knows. After she'd agreed to this she quickly memorized the Immigration and Nationality Act—she has the words "any individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws shall be imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or fined not more than $250,000, or both" practically ingrained in her memory.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Luthor," is what Kara actually says. "But what you're implying…I hope that's not an accusation. Your daughter doesn't deserve the disrespect."

Lillian narrows her eyes. "Don't be daft. I know the truth, and if you don't quit while you're ahead I will make your life miserable."

"Well, that's what I hear mother-in-laws are meant to do," Kara tries to joke, but it takes a great amount of effort not to sweat underneath Lillian's withering gaze.

The quip, it seems, only infuriates Lillian further. "Ms. Danvers, I'm not an enemy you want to have."

"I'm—sorry?" Kara says, slightly panicked, because she's pretty sure Lena will never forgive her for making a bad impression on her mom. "Can we start over? I feel like maybe we should start over." She throws out her hand, smiles, and says, "Hi, Mrs. Luthor, it's great to meet you. You can call me Kara."

Lillian gives her a withering glare in reply. "Play dumb all you like," she snaps. "I'll be waiting for you to come to your senses." She exits the exact same way she came—heels clicking, head held high.

She leaves behind a business card. Kara uncomfortably pockets it; she doesn't dare toss it, in case Lena would consider it an insult.

When Jess reemerges from her first meeting, Kara is tempted to ask her what the deal is with Lillian Luthor. She's tempted to pry, something she's never been prone to doing. For a second she meets Jess's quizzical stare and then she's ashamed; Kara gives Jess an acknowledging nod and then returns to her work without another thought.

Jess, however, is far more perceptive than Kara hoped for. "Has something happened?" she asks. "Have you gotten any troubling calls?"

"No, no, calls have been pretty quiet all day," Kara is quick to reassure her. "It's just…um. Lillian Luthor stopped by? And she knows. So I was wondering what you thought about that."

"That is entirely too cryptic for me, Kara," Jess says impatiently. "What do you mean she knows?"

Kara swallows. "She knows about me and Lena," she says weakly. "That it's not." She pauses, lowers her voice. "Real."

Jess sighs. "Frankly, I didn't expect her to believe this charade. I'm surprised anyone buys it at all." She narrows her eyes at Kara now, almost as if offended. "Why are you telling me and not Ms. Luthor?"

"Well, I…thought I'd run it by you? See if it was important enough to mention."

This prompts another sigh out of Jess, even more exasperated than the first. "Kara. I'm not your middleman. You're allowed to talk to her, you know—she is your fiancé."

"I know," Kara says, feeling quite silly all at once. "I just thought…maybe it would be better coming from you."

"Trust me, it won't be." Jess glances down at her watch. "If that's all? I need to brief Ms. Luthor in about thirty seconds."

"Yeah, no, that's all," Kara says faintly, and after a reassuring (or attempted) half-smile, Jess walks away without a second glance. Kara ultimately decides that it would be better to wait until later; clearly Jess and Lena must be swamped.

Besides, she reasons, Lena probably won't care too much. It's not like Lillian Luthor would report her own daughter to immigration.

.

.

.

There are many unspoken rules of a boss and her assistant that Jess completely ignores.

Lena can't exactly be miffed; Jess knows how to be a functional person better that she can, and therefore has better judgement on just about everything. So when Lena opens her door Sunday morning to see her assistant standing there, she doesn't even bother to ask why on Earth she's there—simply says "Hi, Jess," and invites her in.

"You look terrible," Jess says, and the funny thing is that she sounds surprised. "You're usually more put-together than this."

"You've caught me on an off day," Lena sighs; she runs her fingers through her hair, which is sleep-mussed and tangled, before she leads Jess into the kitchen. "Thank you, by the way. You woke me up. My day would've started far later if you hadn't."

Jess frowns. "Are you sick? This is very unlike you."

"I'm—catching up on missed sleep," Lena says. Somehow, she thinks saying I've been having second thoughts about my fake engagement would be too silly to voice. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"You have no friends besides me," Jess says, like it's obvious. "So I've taken it upon myself to help you with your wedding planning."

"I have friends," Lena counters, but it doesn't come out nearly as offended as she'd hoped to be.

Jess, of course, completely ignores the weak protest. "I'm sure after the whole fiasco with your mother you're ready to speed up the marriage process. Are you still going to have a formal wedding, or will it be purely in City Hall?"

It might be the early morning (barring the fact that it's eight a.m.), but nothing Jess is saying makes any sense and Lena tells her as much. "I don't understand…what fiasco?"

"The fact that Lillian confronted Kara about the two of you faking your engagement?" Jess says impatiently, and Lena—Lena freezes.

"She did what?" she sputters. "What did Kara say?"

Either her desperation is pathetic or Jess is really over her shit, because all she does is roll her eyes. "You know, it would help if you two talked to each other," she says.

"Jess," Lena pleads, and Jess finally takes pity on her.

"Kara didn't let it slip, don't worry. I told you, she's loyal." Jess helps herself to Lena's coffee machine as she speaks, an act Lena wisely does not question. "But you two should figure out what you're going to do now. You have a united front to maintain."

Lena sits down at the kitchen table and resists the urge to bury her face into her arms. "I always expected my mother to be so…conniving," she says. "I shouldn't have let my guard down."

"We expected there would be complications to this plan," Jess reminds her. "Now it's a matter of handling the issue."

"I should've warned Kara," Lena murmurs, disappointedly, to herself. She's only half-listening to Jess at this point.

"That is a nice thing to admit," Jess says, "to Kara, and not to me." She places her hands on her hips, infamous perplexed expression reading the guilt on Lena's face like always. "Why is it that you're both hopeless?" Before Lena can protest (again), she goes on. "I'll come back tomorrow. I hope you'll consider talking to your fiancé for once."

Lena watches helplessly as Jess makes to leave, then belatedly calls after her: "Jess, wait."

"Yes?" Jess is poised in the doorway, expectant, and Lena knows she ought to be worried about her mother and Kara but all she feels right now is relief. That, and hope, warm in her chest.

"Thank you." Lena doesn't even mention that Jess is currently stealing one of her best mugs on her way out. "And, Jess? Are we really friends?"

A break in Jess's professional stoicism comes in the form of an impossibly soft smile. "For a certified genius, you can be daft sometimes," she says, which is the best yes Lena has ever known. "Sleep in for once, would you?"

"Alright." But before Jess can leave, Lena stops her again with, "I'm sorry, by the way. For getting you mixed up in this. I know this is way above your paygrade."

"I don't mind," Jess says, and she tilts her head as if to appraise Lena suddenly. "Don't feel guilty. If I got fake-married I would expect the same treatment from you."

"That is a sentence I never expected to hear in my lifetime."

"Also one I never expected to say in my lifetime." Jess lingers by the doorway to wave goodbye; Lena doesn't know how it happened, but something good has actually come from this fake engagement after all. It's…allowed her to bond with Jess, somehow.

So maybe that's why she doesn't call her mother right away. Instead, she dials someone else.

The phone rings three times before a questioning, "Hello?"

"Kara. Hi." Lena clutches her cell close to her ear to ground herself. "How—how are you?"

"I'm…good?" Kara sounds unsure if that is an adequate answer or not. "And how are you, Ms., uh, I mean. How are you, Lena?"

"I'm well, thank you." Lena decides to cut to the chase; this awkwardness is unbecoming. "The reason I'm calling, as you can imagine, is because Jess told me what happened between you and my mother. I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

Kara is quiet for a few seconds. "Are you mad?"

"What?" Lena frowns at the very idea. "Why would I be mad?"

"Well…your mother doesn't seem to like me very much."

An unexpected burst of laughter escapes before Lena can stop it. "I would've been concerned if she did like you," she says. "Right now, she's convinced you're the sole reason her nefarious plans aren't being achieved."

"Oh. Then I feel kinda better, I guess."

Lena carefully clears her throat. "Now I suppose it's time to remind you that if you want an out—"

Kara cuts her off—seemingly unthinkingly—with a swift, "No way." Then, a beat later, "Um. Because we agreed you would stop suggesting that."

"Did we?"

"Maybe I imagined that, actually," says Kara sheepishly. "But can we do that? I promise, I'm here for as long as you need me. I won't change my mind about helping you."

Lena swallows, feels her heart thump curiously fast with both guilt and relief. "I can promise not to suggest we call this off," she says, "if that's what you want."

"It is."

"Alright then." Lena is beginning to wonder if Kara is even real. There is no way someone so selfless can exist, right? This is the kind of thing one might see in the movies, never in the real world.

"So…was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Kara asks.

"Oh, no," Lena says. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. Have a good day, Kara."

"Wait—wait," Kara's voice wavers in and out of the receiver, as though she is walking with her phone. "Do you have anything to do right now?"

"No?"

"Then…do you want to just talk?" Kara offers. "You can tell me about your morning. Or something."

Is this what it's like to make friends? Lena isn't sure whether to be worried or flattered at such a prospect. Either way she replies,

"I'd like that," and—somehow—means it.

.

.

.

Kara has recently begun to text Lena.

It's a new development and she is working very, very hard not to sound too formal—today she'd even sent a few emojis after her text asking have your parents been driving you crazy with this wedding talk too?

Eliza has made a point of spending more time with her daughters, and of course, that means accosting Kara with endless wedding questions. This morning they've met at Kara's for exercise and a late breakfast, but as always, Eliza finds the time to ask,

"So how is Lena doing?"

"She's great, Mom," Kara says. "I'll be sure to let her know you miss her."

"You should bring her by more often. She's lovely," Eliza says as she starts up the TV. "When Maggie and Alex first started dating they were inseparable, don't you remember? I saw more of Maggie than I did you."

"That's not true," Alex immediately protests. "Maggie and I barely saw each other."

"Honey, you forget that I have pictures to prove it," Eliza says, and promptly steals the beer bottle from her daughter's hand. "It's a bit early for drinking, isn't it?"

Alex groans. "How else am I supposed to get through this?"

"It's yoga, it's not torture." Eliza pats the mat beside her. "If Maggie could make it, she'd already be joining me."

"Maggie loves you too much to tell you she hates yoga," Alex says. "Okay, actually she loves yoga too, but I like to pretend she's on my side."

"You can humor your graying mother," Eliza says. "I feel like I never see you girls enough."

"We've all been pretty busy," Kara agrees. She casts a quick look at her messages, but there's still no response from Lena. "But we're here now!"

"Yeah, so you can stop with the guilt trips," Alex mutters. "Kara, you're welcome to stop ignoring us anytime, too."

Kara realizes she's been staring at her phone while this conversation has been happening. "I'm just—waiting to hear from Lena," she explains lamely. "You know. Because I can. Since she's my girlfriend and I miss her."

Alex gives her a weird look. "Okay," she says. "Do you have wedding fever like Mom, or is this just a symptom of being lovestruck?"

"It's…can we not talk about weddings? Personally, I'm here for yoga. I love yoga." Kara eagerly takes her spot on her mat, sitting cross-legged in preparation.

"Gross," Alex grumbles, and she begrudgingly takes a seat as well.

Eliza squeezes Kara's shoulder softly, just to get her attention. "I'm sorry if I've been overwhelming you over this wedding," she says. "I'm just so happy for you, Kara. You deserve to have found love again."

"Thanks, Eliza," Kara says, swallowing thickly. "I'm…happy too." When she dares to glance at Alex, she doesn't see the disappointment she'd expected; all she sees is a pensive kind of understanding, as if Alex is truly working past her reservations about Kara's engagement to Lena.

Kara ends up being distracted all throughout their workout. Thoughts are running through her head a mile a minute—guilty ones, about letting Eliza down and about lying to Alex. If Kara were to force herself to analyze why she feels so bad about this, she'd chalk it up to Mon-El and everything that has been keeping her from being happy. But she also doesn't want to make it out to be as black-and-white as that, either. She's over him, she's over what happened, and it should not be resurfacing from the recesses of her mind.

Her phone chimes with a sudden text from Lena. It reads My mother, as you know, is thrilled. Kara is beginning to realize that Lena's a lot funnier than she ever expected. She has a dry, charming wit that Kara never knew existed.

The waffles are done by the time Kara types, then retypes, her reply. She'd tried the joking route; had almost sent oh yeah, i'm sure she is. Then she'd tried I'm sorry, but it seemed too empty an apology. Ultimately she goes with, my mom will be thrilled enough for everyone.

"Kara, what has you so concerned?" Eliza says.

"Huh?" Kara quickly sets down her phone. "Nothing."

"Don't lie," Alex chimes in, poking between Kara's eyes without warning. "You have that crinkle."

"Ugh, the crinkle." Kara has been betrayed far too many times by her own face, and she sourly bats Alex's hand away. "It really is nothing, I'm just texting Lena."

"Oh?" Eliza hums. "What is she up to?"

"Work," Kara lies; she knows Lena is actually having her own mother over today. "She's always so busy."

"Why don't you invite her over for dinner on Friday?" Eliza suggests. "I'm sure she could do with some time to unwind."

Kara hesitates. "Yeah, I'm sure she would," she says, "but she also likes quiet. Alone."

"She's part of the family now, Kara," Alex says. "Friday night dinners are a mandatory evil."

"Alex Danvers, I am going to pretend I did not hear you say that," Eliza warns. "How are the eggs coming?"

"Done." Alex starts plating, and as Kara adds three waffles to her own plate, Eliza corners her by the syrup.

"I know we haven't made the best impression on Lena," she says, quietly. "But will you ask her to consider coming by on Friday? We can make it up to her."

"I'll ask her," Kara promises. "I'm just not sure what her answer will be."

"She's a nice girl," Eliza says. "I'm sure she'll agree." She takes the syrup pitcher from Kara's hands to top off her own breakfast, then says, "You never had any qualms with bringing Mon-El by…"

"That was different." The uncomfortable, itchy pang in her chest has long since dulled, but it faintly re-emerges at the mention of his name anyway. "Can we not talk about it? Please?"

"Of course, honey." Eliza squeezes her shoulder apologetically. "Now make sure you don't overdo it on the syrup. Your stomach may be a black hole, but your teeth won't thank you for it."

"Mom," Kara groans for show. "I'm eating healthier now."

"Until I see proof, I won't believe it." Eliza winks, and Kara allows herself to relax.

"Next time I'll send you a picture of my salad," Kara swears. "Alex has seen me eat healthy—right Alex?"

"I plead the fifth, I don't want to be in the middle of this argument," Alex says. "Come get some eggs before they cool down!"

Marriage talk doesn't come up for the rest of the morning; Kara's grateful for that.

.

.

.

Having a fake fiancé is a process.

There is a certain image that must be maintained, and Lena has agreed that means being seen with Kara in public—it is a stepping stone to formally announcing their engagement to the press, after all. Right now they've decided that means taking lunch breaks together.

"What's good here?" Kara asks, nose buried in her menu. "Would you mind if I ordered chicken tenders?"

"Why would I mind?" Lena says. "It's your lunch."

"Well, I mean…you did bring me to a fancy seafood place," says Kara, sheepishly. "So it's kind of silly to go for the children's menu, right? Let me see what else they have." She lowers the menu somewhat, allowing Lena a chance to observe her as discreetly as she can.

Kara is an attractive woman, objectively speaking. And knowing that she has a kind personality, Lena wonders what could have led to her last failed relationship. She wonders if she's even allowed to ask.

"This place isn't fancy," Lena interjects, as an afterthought. "It's a standard seafood restaurant, I think."

"Isn't seafood inherently fancy?" Kara frowns at something on the menu. "Why are they offering spikes on my food? Are they edible?"

"If you're looking at the sea urchin, then no," Lena says. "The spikes are not edible."

"Huh." Kara rubs at her chin distractedly. "Well, what do you usually order? Not the salmon, obviously, because you hate salmon."

"Right." Sometimes it's unnerving, the fact that Kara knows so much about her. That, however, falls on Lena—maybe if she weren't so dependent on her assistants, she might be better at keeping her habits a secret. "Um, I usually order the grilled shrimp. It's very good."

"Maybe I should try that, then," Kara says. She glances up at Lena then, and her frown re-emerges. "Are you okay?"

Lena hastily preoccupies herself with her own menu in order to pretend she hasn't been staring. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"I don't know, you looked kind of pale." Kara worries her bottom lip for a second. Then, "Would it be alright if I held your hand?"

"I…suppose," Lena says, slightly taken aback. "You don't have to ask."

"I know. But I like that we have boundaries," Kara says simply. When she takes Lena's hand in her own, it's done without hesitation; she thumbs over the back of it warmly, and handles her menu one-handed without missing a beat. "Are you getting the grilled shrimp today?"

"I probably will," Lena says. "I'm afraid I'm not very adventurous with my food."

"So we shouldn't split the sea urchin as an appetizer?"

A smile forms before Lena even realizes it's happening. "Not unless you're prepared to eat most of it yourself."

Kara grins. "Most is not all. Does that mean you'll try some of it?" she says. "Because I'll order it in that case."

"I change my answer to 'you better be prepared to eat all of it,' actually," Lena says, and when Kara laughs it's a relief. Joking with Kara is surprisingly becoming easier, which is nice. "So…I hate to bring this up, but I was wondering if I could discuss the wedding with you."

"Yeah, always," Kara says, lowering the menu to give her undivided attention. "Like—what kind of flowers we want, and stuff?"

Lena hesitates. "Not exactly," she admits. "I was wondering how attached you are to a public wedding. At least, right away." When Kara only waits for her to continue, Lena inhales sharply and goes on: "Given what transpired with my mother, I thought that we should get married as soon as possible. At least on paper. Afterwards we can figure out where to go from there."

"If that's what works best for you then let's do it," Kara agrees. "How soon can we get the paperwork in order? I can call the county clerk's office first thing when I get back."

"No, I don't—need you to do that," Lena says. "I can handle the paperwork. It's not your job to marry me, you don't have to deal with the gritty details."

"Right," Kara says, a tad sheepishly. She glances down at her menu again, though Lena suspects she does so to distract herself.

Lena resists the urge to apologize. "You can tell your family," she says instead, a suggestion that is more of an olive branch. "Once we're married on paper. I'll also have Jess formally announce it to the press."

Kara's brow furrows. "Wait," she says. "But won't that mean having to disclose that I'm—" she gestures loosely to her person, then winces. "I guess I'm asking…won't that make us seem unprofessional?"

"Maybe," Lena says, "but it would come out sooner or later that you work for me. Jess thinks it'd be better to be upfront about it." She feels Kara's hand tighten around hers, perhaps unconsciously. "It's alright, honestly. We both know the truth, and petty gossip has never hurt me. Unless, of course, you have reservations about the possibility of negative press against you—"

"It's not that," Kara interrupts. "I don't mind either, I was just…worried for you."

"You don't have to worry about me," Lena assures her. "But thank you." The funny thing is she means it; she is genuinely touched by the idea of Kara caring enough about her image to voice her concern.

The waiter comes by to take their orders at last, disrupting a peaceful moment Lena hadn't even noticed was occuring. She draws her hand back from Kara's without delay, pretending not to notice how startled Kara looks at the sudden move. Lena does indeed order her usual; Kara, in the end, goes for the chicken tenders.

"I guess I wasn't feeling as adventurous as I thought," Kara jokes, and Lena smiles against the rim of her water glass.

"There's nothing wrong with that," Lena says, and this time she is the one to rejoin their hands. She doesn't mention the knee-jerk reaction she had earlier. Hell, she's not even sure why it happened; it's not like she is ashamed to be holding Kara's hand.

But there is something about the way it feels—private, almost intimate—that nearly makes her give in to that shame all over again.

.

.

.

When Lena shows up to Danvers family dinner, Kara thankfully greets her at the door.

"You didn't have to bring anything," Kara insists, but she takes the wine bottle from Lena's hand nonetheless. Lena is relieved; she was afraid she'd have to hide it somewhere among the roses or something to get Kara to accept the gesture.

"Thank you for having me over," Lena says, trailing hesitantly behind as they make their way inside. "Your apartment is nice." That is a bit of a lie; Kara's apartment is small, with eclectic decor and questionable furniture. It is certainly not a place Lena would have envisioned for Kara.

Kara leads Lena into the kitchen, absentmindedly calling over her shoulder, "Really? You like it? Lucy has a thing for artwork, so the decor is mostly her thing…" She sets the wine down onto the counter, triumphant. "Guys! Lena's here!"

It is then that Lena realizes the kitchen connects to the living room, and everyone is already sitting there—Kara's parents, Kara's roommate, Alex and her wife and daughter. They all call varying hellos while Lena is pretty sure she gawks in response.

After a beat too long, Lena waves rather weakly. "Hello," she says.

Kara comes up beside her, resting the palm of her hand firmly against Lena's lower back. "You can sit with me," she prompts. "Sorry we don't exactly have…a table."

"Yeah, whose idea was it to host dinner at Kara's, again?" Alex says.

"Don't trash talk my place, Alex," Lucy scoffs. "We have a perfectly good system here."

"You two live like college freshmen," Alex teases, reaching over to ruffle Lucy's hair. "Good thing Kara is escaping your clutches."

"Now Lena has to put up with my questionable habits," Kara agrees, playfully nudging Lena with her elbow. "You ready for that?"

"I've managed this long, haven't I?" Lena laughs, grateful when she gets to squeeze in beside Kara on the couch at last; she suspects she's trembling slightly, which is never a good look.

"Are you trying to pin your sister's behavior on me, Danvers?" Lucy gasps. "She's the bad influence here—she eats Chinese food for all meals."

"It covers all food groups!" Kara exclaims. Her hand falls to Lena's knee, a steady kind of pressure, as if to keep her close. "Which is exactly why that's what we're having for dinner tonight."

"Again?" Eliza shakes her head. "Girls, this is why I offered to host."

"But it was our turn," Lucy says innocently. "We didn't want to let you down, Mrs. Danvers."

"It's better than having Alex attempt a meal," Maggie adds. "I think at this point family dinner means family takeout."

"…thanks for the vote of confidence, babe."

"Anytime."

Lena can't get over how easy the teasing transpires among Kara's family. There's never any underlying criticism to the friendly jabs, no other shoe waiting to drop. If this were her family…it's a given that the atmosphere would certainly be different. If it were her own mother sitting in Eliza's chair, she would be eyeing Lucy distastefully. She'd probably be dropping a snide comment or two as well, just to show her superiority.

"Lena?"

Another touch to her knee, this time higher. Lena feels the glide of Kara's fingertips against her slacks, gentle but firm enough to get her attention.

"Sorry, what was that?" Lena says.

Kara smiles, amused. "Tea or water?" she repeats.

Through her embarrasment, Lena manages to get out, "Water's fine, thank you," and Kara cheerfully pours her a glass.

"You're in your head again," Kara notes, but it's not said snidely. Just an observation, one Lena can easily deflect if she chooses to.

But she doesn't. "I'm sorry," Lena says, accepting the cup and allowing her hand to linger against Kara's. "I was thinking that my mother would hate this kind of thing."

"Because your mother…hates me?" Kara guesses.

"She doesn't hate you," Lena protests, but Kara is only grinning, reaching out to trace the curve of Lena's cheek.

"It's okay, it just means I have to win her over," Kara says. The way she looks at Lena then—so unabashedly fondly—nearly has Lena leaning in for a kiss.

And that's…that's not a thought she should be having. Lena blindly takes a sip of water to snap herself out of it. This is part of the act, she wills herself to remember. Kara is very convincing, that's all. It has to be chalked up to the fact that her family is watching—and listening, no doubt.

Sure enough: "Your mother hates Kara?" Lucy questions, visibly perplexed. "Really? But she's so unhateable."

"She doesn't hate me," Kara says. "She just doesn't like me."

"That's…" Lucy pauses like she's trying to find a nicer way to phrase it. "It's the same thing."

"I'm not past the point of no return though," Kara says. "Right, Lena?"

Lena apologetically grasps at her hand. "Darling, I honestly cannot promise that," she says, to which Kara laughs.

"As long as you like me." To anyone else, the way Kara kisses her temple might seem normal, but the nervous glint in her eye lets on how anxious she is about the subject.

Eliza leans forward in her seat. "You know, I'd like to meet your mother, Lena," she says. "She must be quite the character."

Lena hastily attempts to salvage her mother's image somewhat. "She's not as bad as I might make her sound," she says. "She just doesn't…approve of a few of my choices."

"Maybe we should have her over for dinner next time," Eliza suggests. "Help her change her mind."

"That is a very kind offer," Lena says. "But I'm afraid she's a busy woman."

"Too busy for family?"

"You'd be surprised," Lena says, perhaps a bit more bitterly than intended, because Kara wordlessly—and fleetingly—kisses the side of her head again.

The doorbell rings then, which thankfully takes the attention off of Lena. The arrival of the food has everyone rising to their feet, and Kara says,

"I'll get you a plate—do you want beef or chicken?"

"Chicken, thank you," Lena says.

"And do you want white rice? You prefer that over chow mein, right?"

"Yes, I do." Lena has a long way to go, she thinks, when it comes to learning Kara the way Kara knows her—if someone were to ask which food Kara prefers over the other, she wouldn't have the slightest clue.

"Great! I'll be right back."

Lena smiles after her as reassuringly as she can. Before she can internally berate herself for being so awkward all evening, a sudden, "Lena?" catches her completely off-guard.

She hadn't noticed that, as everyone went to get food, Eliza had stayed behind. And she cautiously takes a seat beside Lena now, more apprehensive than Lena has ever seen her.

"I don't mean to spring this on you, love," Eliza says. "But if there's any family issues you'd like to talk about…well, my kids say I am a good listener."

"Oh, it's not—it's not that we have issues, really," Lena says, as upbeat as she can muster. "My mother just isn't as open with her feelings like you are. And she'll warm up to Kara, don't worry. I was joking, it was…done in poor taste, I suppose."

Eliza places a hand over Lena's. "You don't have to explain," she says. "I just want you to know that you have a family here, too. And another mother, if you'd like that."

Lena's breath gets caught in the back of her throat. "That's—that's very kind, Mrs. Danvers," she says. "Thank you."

When Eliza smiles at her sadly, Lena feels an immediate sharp pang in her chest. How can she do this? How can she put Kara's family through this? There is a small part of her screaming to confess the truth now—to say no, you don't want me in your family, to say if you knew what I am putting your daughter through you wouldn't trust me like this.

The selfish part wins out, of course. It always does. Always will.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Eliza says. "And thank you for being here. I'm so happy Kara has gotten over her reservations about marriage. It's proof you're special."

Lena furrows her brow. "What do you mean?" she says, curiously. She knows she should agree, mindlessly leave it to ask Kara about instead, but a bad feeling begins to brew in the pit of her stomach.

Eliza's smile falls a fraction. "About…Kara's previous reservations about marriage?"

"Yes," Lena says. "She didn't—mention anything about that when I proposed."

"Well, maybe by then they'd vanished," Eliza assures her. "Clearly her love for you was greater than her love for Mon-El."

"Mon-El?" Lena echoes. "Who is…" She pauses, then shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to gossip. It is definitely not my place to ask you that."

But Eliza doesn't seem annoyed at the question, only shocked. "You don't know about Mon-El?" she says. "I thought for sure Kara would've…" she trails off. "It's not my place to tell, either. Forgive me."

"No! No, I shouldn't have pried," Lena says.

Eliza stands up. "I'd better get in there before they take all the food," she says. But though she's joking, her worried eyes break past her casual expression; Lena gets the sense that she has monumentally messed up.

The instant Eliza is gone Lena finally lets herself shake again, clasping her hands together so tightly her knuckles go white. She hates how this feels—hates feeling so powerless when she is used to being stone-cold, used to being unfazed by anything. Suddenly she has a slew of people she can't disappoint; Kara, of course, falls on the top of the list. And if Kara has reservations about being married, then Lena might very well be the worst person in the world for making her do this.

It's official: caring for others is nothing short of inconvenient.