Crowded rooms.
Lena was used to them. She had attended several galas and cocktails as CEO of L-Corp, or simply as a Luthor. But this one felt different. This one was different.
It was Karas second Pulitzer party. This time, she had won it for writing a masterpiece of an article exposing for the second time how Lillian and Lex Luthor had worked with an ancient and evil alien group, Leviathan, to take control over Obsidian Tech and kill two thirds of the world's population, expected to attend an international and virtual 'social convention'. Leviathan and Lex had been taken down by the Superfriends, and exposed by the youngest Danvers, but Lillian had escaped.
Lena had been part of her Lexs arrest. She had actually been the one leading him, already cuffed, towards the FBIs armoured van. She had watched her brother go away, thinking that she was now back to being the other Luthor she used to be on Earth-38. Earth Prime had been the occasion for her to finally realise multiple projects without worrying about the worlds opinion. On this Earth, the Luthors were good people. At least, until her mother and brothers expected attempt to take control over the planet. Now, people started being wary around her, and LuthorCorp, that she felt would need to rename L-Corp for the second time, was losing investors. Again. She knew it would happen, but she couldnt help feeling as though her wings had been clipped.
The only people who still had faith in her were her friends. Especially Kara. The reporter had been fighting for years to show the world how great of an individual Lena was, and it meant the world to the CEO, who was currently waiting near a table, champagne glass in her hand, for her friend to appear again. Kara had just delivered a speech about how important telling the truth was, had always been, indeed, to her, despite the numerous mistakes she had made throughout her life. She had pronounced that part with her eyes stuck to Lenas, and the raven-haired woman knew that there was only one of these said mistakes that the reporter wished she could have fixed earlier. She had fought the blush creeping up her cheeks, unwilling to show how sensitive she was around Kara right in the middle of a crowded room. There were too much people around, and they ought not to know.
They had no idea about these urges and feelings Lena had to hold back, the anticipation twisting her gut each time Karas cheerful eyes met hers, the way her hands shook because she was overwhelmed by the blonde womans presence this night made no exception. The reporter wore a dark blue blazer, matching trousers and a white shirt which had its three top buttons undone. This blue was familiar. That night, Kara wore a bit of Supergirl. Lena perceived it, with the small switches in her attitude. She was open but formal, still a bit clumsy but mostly charismatic.
Yes, there was something about Kara that felt different, in a good way, though. Lena couldnt explain why, but she liked seeing her Kryptonian friend walking around with that kind of attitude, proud without being haughty. There was an indentation in her presence, one that deeply struck Lena. She felt like she couldnt lay her eyes on somebody else than Kara.
The reporter was walking down the stairs, and the Luthor suddenly felt dizzy. Her suit fitted her marvelously, and the energy that radiated from her was almost suffocating. Lena patted her dress, straightening it and trying to get the same effect on herself, but failing as Kara shot her an overjoyed look accompanied by that dazzling smile of hers. She started striding towards her, but was stopped by some of her guests. The CEO felt her stomach twisting at the realisation that her friend would most likely be busy all night long. She downed her glass rapidly, only to get other drinks at the bar. She would need some company for the wait, after all, wouldnt she ?
So she waited, sitting on a stool at the bar in her way-too-pretty-to-be-comfortable dress. She ordered different alcohols throughout the evening, from champagne to liquor, without forgetting her signature whiskey glass. The Luthor's eyes followed the reporter's movements in the room, returning her smiles almost too eagerly for them to only be friendly.
