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Admittedly, the first thing he thinks of when Beth tells him
of the opportunity in National City is not the promise of growth. It’s not
putting Biomax at the forefront, in the spotlight where he’s tried to hold
them in for years.
(Just one breakthrough, that’s all he needed.
Years of modifying and rethinking, and then-
Then it happened in a matter of months that he can barely recall past a blur.)
It’s Lena Luthor.
(It’s a crooked smile across the lab. A quickening of his heartbeat before Lena looked away.
It was only leaning into him when there was a camera to put on a show. Apologizing as soon as they were alone until he could assure her it was fine.
It’s familiar and tinged with nostalgia. It’s finally, finally making it and wanted to say look, look what couldn’t have happened without you.)
When he sees her amidst the audience, there’s a fullness in his chest. Too full, he sighs it out, follows with a smile that’s returned. One that’s too, too bright compared to the shadows of the audience.
She leans over to someone beside her, and oh, the smile she gives her?
Jack’s never seen it.
Until later, when she waves a hand and, “this is Kara Danvers.” She pauses, and there it is again. He’s never seen Lena so expressive. “One of the best reporters in National City.”
(He’s seen her struggle to stay awake while muttering just one more test. Seen her navigate her way through the parties the Luthors threw, more business than anything.
All with a small, perfectly crafted smile on her face.
This one she shares with Kara Danvers? It’s almost like awe, the breath rushing from Lena’s chest as her lips curve upward.)
“Oh, oh gosh. No.” Ms.Danvers waves her hands, throws back her head, and he chances a quick glance to Lena. He expects a frown, a small smile maybe only because such floundering presents an opening to get the best hand.
But it’s not. It’s another full, full smile with bright eyes as the two stare at each other. A soft sigh that he’s not sure who let out.
“Ms.Danvers,” he offers his hand, “A pleasure.”
He regrets it immediately. Her hands folds over his, controls their shake and is she digging in her fingers? “Just Kara is fine.” Her lips twitch up, a fraction- not even- of the beaming smile she offered Lena. “Nice to meet you too.”
“Quite a grip there.” He laughs, shakes out his hand. Has to do it again until the pins and needles fade away.
“Sorry,” she murmurs. She looks torn for a moment, between actually being apologetic and then giving him this odd look. He’s never found reporters to be anything but annoying. Offer them a shred of information and the chatter dies down, but there’s no pen in hand. No quick question that he expects from the look she’s giving him.
Just this cold stare that he wouldn’t have thought her capable of after the way she looked at Lena.
She coughs into her hand. “I can,” rolls her shoulders as she tries to get the words out, “I should go.”
Lena grabs her wrist, “Wait-”
“Actually,” he interrupts, because Beth has been beeping in the entirety of the conversation, and he had wanted to talk to Lena, but the air’s charged with, with something. Lena’s fingers are slowly drawing away from Kara’s arm, but the weighted silence left behind still fills the space, and he’s certain he’s not exactly wanted right now. “I’ve got to go and parade in front of the stockowners.” He nudges Lena’s shoulder. “You know how it is.”
“I do.” She smiles, quick and precise before it warms, fades away to the real ones she used to give him whenever they knew they were so close to a solution. “Will you be here long?”
He nods. “I’ll be overseeing the distribution here, so we’ll have plenty of time to catch up, if you’d like?”
“I would.”
“Perfect.” He almost offers his hand to Kara again but rethinks it, subtly rubbing at his hand as he nods to her. “Wonderful meeting you.”
A sweet smile that he believes for two seconds until Lena catches sight of it, her forehead scrunching up in confusion and he’s clued in that maybe it isn’t so sincere. “You too.”
(As he’s walking away, he looks over his shoulder to see the two walking closely side by side and thank you for coming with me.
He hears Lena’s rich laugh, loud until it’s stifled, after Kara’s well, what kind of favorite would I be if I hadn’t?
He can’t remember the last time he heard Lena laugh like that.)
Swaying Lena’s worker is as easy as smiling and quietly asking for a few moments of her time.
Swaying Lena to come to lunch? Not as much.
“I can’t.” Lena waves her hand over the strewn papers on the desk. “This isn’t going to sign itself.”
“I have absolutely no idea what is good in this city.” He leans forward in his chair, can’t help breaking his woeful speech when Lena smiles. “What happens if I eat at a subpar restaurant because I was forced to go it alone?”
“I’m sure you’ll survive somehow, Jack.”
A quick knock sounds and before they can even look, the door opens. “Hey, Lena-” Kara stops, and oh, she’s giving him that look again. “Oh. You’re here.” She touches the frames of her glasses, nose wrinkling up before she jumps. “I mean, sorry. You’re here. Not that I’m sorry you’re here, but that I-“
“Kara,” Lena sounds just as panicked as Kara does. “Were we supposed to have lunch?” She gathers the papers in her hands, knocking them against the table. “Just give me one minute-“
“No, no. I was just popping in to see if you wanted to.” He sits quietly in his chair, watching the two fret about for a moment and pretends he’s not the least bit slighted that all it takes for Lena to drop her work is Kara.
(Granted, that would mean someone noticing him in the room right, but as the two try to over apologize to each other, he’s fairly certain they’ve forgotten he’s even there.
Weird.)
“Oh,” Lena stares down at her papers, her shoulders falling as she sighs, “I have so much work. I’m sorry.” Her head snaps back up. “But,” and Jack tugs his tie nervously, because he knows that glint in her eye and it’s nothing good, “would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Anything.”
(He doesn’t miss how Lena freezes at that.
Despite the weirdly hostile looks Kara gives him- ones that almost feel cold when his back is turned- he feels a rush of warmth towards her for causing Lena to smile so much, so often.
He knows how they had become few and far between.)
Lena’s composed look dissolves into a gentle smile, and oh, even if it’s not directed at him, he feels lucky just to have seen it. “Lena?”
She clears her throat. “Right.” A finger is pointed towards him, and he does the same. “Can you direct him to a good restaurant?”
“Oh.” All the cheer evaporates instantly as Kara glances down to him. “Are you sure, Lena? I don’t really know of any.”
That startles a laugh from Lena. He presses a hand to his chest, ducking his head to hide his grin, because this is the most smiling and laughing from Lena he’s ever seen. “You’ve eaten in every place that serves a bit of food. Twice at the least.” She dips her head, blinks slowly. “I trust you.”
The pencil Kara had been lazily spinning in her hand snaps in two at that. He slides a hand over his face to keep from laughing, because oh, it must be a common occurrence because Lena simply holds up a pencil and waves it until Kara takes it. “Yes, okay. I can- will do.” Kara marches back towards the door. Spins around. “Do you want me to drop off anything for you?”
“Surprise me?”
“Okay. Oh!” Kara brushes past him with her arms open wide, and he almost laughs, because Lena’s never been one for-
Lena readily accepts the hug, her arms winding around Kara tightly and squeezing briefly before they part.
“Have fun.”
(With the way Kara steps around him, he’s not sure if fun would be an apt way to describe it.)
“Are burgers beneath you or?”
He blinks down. “Um no. I think everyone likes burgers, right?”
Kara shrugs her shoulders. “There’s a spot right around the block. We’ll get there in a minute or two. At least it’s early, so they won’t be packed.”
“We?” He echoes.
“Yeah. I’m hungry.” Kara gives him a look as if he didn’t watch her scarf down a bag of chips as they rode in the elevator with nothing but silence punctured by Kara’s anxious chewing.
“Then I’m glad you’re accompanying me to lunch. I’d like to get to know the person Lena thinks so highly of.”
“I’d like to know more about Biomax,” she cuts.
He opens up his hands. “By all means.”
“Your test trials.” She holds open the door for them as they step in, but oh, he’s hesitant that she might slam it on him. “How did they go?”
“Fantastic.” He goes to say more, finds that the words slip out of his grip. He knows, he knows the results, but it’s just- it’s not there. All of sudden, his mind is blank and his breath short. He settles on, “all the results are open to the public.”
(His stomach turns at that. His fingers shake, ears buzzing.
It’s gone just as fast as it came.)
“Right.” Kara pauses, smiling wide for the waitress that sits them down and asking about her day.
When Kara turns back to him, she tips up her jaw and exudes a coldness that has him experiencing something of whiplash.
“I’m not here to cause trouble Ms.Danvers.”
Kara goes rigid. Her blue eyes narrowing at him before she leans back and straightens her shoulders. “I never said you were.”
“Forgive me for having the impression that you’d like me to be anywhere but here.” Kara huffs but allows him to continue. “I care about her, and I only want her to be happy.”
“I’m sure she’s heard that before.”
(He thinks about Lena staring quietly at the television, not even acknowledging him when he settles a hand on her shoulder, Lex’s angry shouts filling the room.
Of Lillian pushing, pushing, pushing Lena for more and more and backing away only when Lena dared to snap back and citing it out of love.
Of what he’s seen on the news since she left, of murder attempts and framing and yes, she has.)
He rubs at his jaw, stares over Kara’s steady gaze as she gives her order and hearing none of it. When it’s his turn, he shrugs his shoulders and hopes it comes off as nonchalant as he wants it to. “I’ll have what she’s having.”
“I admit defeat Ms.Danvers.”
Kara swallows down her too big bite, and he’s finding himself in more disbelief with each passing second that Lena often goes to eat with her. “I didn’t know we were having a competition?”
He pushes his plate back. “Clearly,” he says, eyeing her empty plate as she’s glancing at his until he nudges it towards her, “I’m a little concerned about the last time you ate.”
“This morning.” She forces out a quick breath and looks straight at him. Her voice is small amid the bustling of the restaurant as the lunch rush steadily flows in. “I want her to be happy too.” She nods to him. “She deserves more people in her life. Who care about her.”
There’s something in the way she says it that spikes his interest. “And are you one of those people?”
(The look he receives after that is telling enough. A burning gaze with clenched fists as Kara murmurs always cements it.)
“Your friend is a tense one.”
Lena’s head jerks back, a quick breath of air that he takes as laughter. “Tense is the last word I would use to describe her.”
“No, no, she is.” He places his glass on the floor and leans his elbows on the railing in front of him as he glances to his side. Lena shifts her weight to the hand keeping her propped up, one eyebrow lifting.
(This is the Lena he remembers.
Heels toed off and relaxed as she looked up to the stars. Back when the lipstick and sharp dresses were more for occasions that Lena did her best to avoid.
Now, she steps through negotiations as easily as she can recite equations- he knows that hasn’t changed- and the sharply pulled back hair is more a comfort than an annoyance.)
“Did it not go well? Kara didn’t say much about it.” Lena squints up. “Which is odd, because usually she can make getting coffee sound like an adventure.”
“She’s different,” he amends, because Lena’s toeing the line between curious and almost defensive. “How did you meet?”
“I was her first interview,” Lena says, and oh, it’s proud. Then she’s fishing around behind her, swiping away on her phone before passing it to him. “That’s the first article she did.”
“Her first?” Lena’s eyes are gleaming as she nods. Curious, he swipes his thumb against her phone and snorts. Waves the phone at Lena, “take many photos do you?”
Lena snatches the phone away from him, cradles it in her palms. She sighs softly at the screen, at gleaming blue eyes and runs a finger over the smile there. “A few.”
“Tell me about her.” Lena drops her chin on the railing and raises her shoulders. He nudges her, does it again until she laughs. “I remember when I used to get all the latest deets.”
Her nose crinkles at that, a frown twisting on her face. “For some reason I thought you’d update your expressions.”
“Deets is a fantastic term.” At the shake of her head, he forces out a breath. “You’re avoiding. Quite poorly, I should add.”
“Never.” He gives her a look until she amends. “A little.” Her shoulders drop with the sigh she heaves. “She’s wonderful. She’s smart and dedicated and,” Lena clenches her hand, knocks it against her knee, “true.”
(He hears what she doesn’t say.
That others aren’t.)
“And beautiful,” he sighs wistfully.
“Yes,” Lena breathes, it slipping out like it’s sat there waiting, building until she finally could say it. He sits there grinning and waiting. Lena blinks. She shoves at his shoulder, clicking her tongue. “Stop.”
He looks at her, at the easy slouch and soft smile. An affection rising that curls around his chest. “I missed this.” He turns back to look across the city, little lights blinking in and out of existence. “I missed my best friend.”
Maybe not the widest smile he’s seen since he’s been in National City, but oh, it’s close when Lena hears that. “Me too.”
“I mean of course, you did.” He places a hand on his chest. “Who wouldn’t miss me?”
“You’re a pain.”
“I’m-” He runs his tongue over his teeth, a numbness spreading through him. He tries to shake his hands, his feet, anything. Nothing responds, remains steadily still until he’s saying, “I’ve got to go.” But he, he didn’t want to say that, didn’t want to leave Lena jerking back and looking shocked and hurt.
“Of course.”
He stumbles out of the elevator, and then oh, he’s ripped in two and everything falls away.
“-he’s going to be okay?” Lena, low and sharp. The way her voice shifts when she’s worried, when a problem doesn’t quite align with what she had thought.
“Al-” someone clears their throat, “Agent Danvers said after time to recover, he’ll be fine.” Is that? It’s Kara, but there’s an edge to it, more than when she was shooting questions at him across the table. Steady but with a hint of steel.
“And you? You both could have died tonight.”
“You could’ve too.” A shift of fabric with a stamp of feet. “I thought Kara told you to stay away from him.”
He opens his eyes, because it’s odd for Kara to be referring to herself in the third sense. There’s also the part about him dying that’s a cause for concern.
“Already bickering,” he stops when they turn to him. Lena and Supergirl. Not Kara like he assumed. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” He doesn’t. He feels emptier somehow, but there’s a lack of energy vibrating through him that he appreciates. He had assumed it was nerves making him shaky, but with the way Lena grasps his hand, he’s not so sure.
But oh, that still sounds like Kara. Eyes still the striking shade of blue he’s never seen before.
“Jack,” Lena says, it’s a little tearful, choked, “the least you could do is to have the decency not to stare at her.” She’s teasing- to get him to joke in return, to show everything is okay- but he’s still gawking because Kara is, Supergirl is-
“Mr.Spheer?”
“I don’t remember anything,” he says instead.
“You tested the nanobots on yourself,” Lena accuses, but it’s less venom to it and more hurt. Her hand gripping his tightens for a moment, and Kara- Supergirl takes a hesitant step forward almost as if she was going to take Lena’s other hand before falling back. “You knew,” she starts slowly, “you knew what the effects were, and then you go and do that.”
“I fixed it.” The two share a look and he pushes against the mattress to sit up. “I did,” he urges. “But I didn’t want to risk anyone else when we began moving to human trials, so I tested myself first.” He looks between them. “Why does it matter? It was fine, and so were the other trials.”
Supergirl closes her eyes and dips her head. “There were no other trials.”
“Don’t be ridiculous-”
“Jack,” Lena taps his hand to gain his attention, and when he looks to her, oh, her eyes are wide and apologetic. “We need to tell you something.”
“I’m not exactly sure what to do now.”
Supergirl’s eyes squint, her smooth step faltering as she escorts him out. “What do you mean?”
(She hadn’t been forthcoming about where they are.
Only said that he needed medical attention fast, and it was the best place she knew of.)
He puffs out a breath in frustration. He’s so used to words simply appearing in his mind, that now, he feels off balance. There’s no mindless chatter at the back of his head, no buzzing in his veins.
(There’s no Beth controlling his move either though which he is infinitely grateful for.
Beth who had been at his side for years. A constant, supportive presence. Had been there when he decided to test himself with the promise of getting help had anything gone wrong.
As he spoke of betrayal, Lena merely nodded along with an all too familiar look.)
She stops walking, hand easing on his shoulder to still him before he continued walking. She’s visited him numerous times. Sometimes Supergirl, sometimes Kara. Anytime Lena is there as well, they still share those affection looks with each other.
He wonders if she knows.
(The first time she comes as Kara, she’s nervous.
Hands in her lap, she had looked up and I’m sorry.
But really, who could have guessed he wasn’t the one killing people after that video? Who would have guessed Beth had been pulling the strings since that very first trial?
Definitely not him.)
“I’ve worked on Biomax so long and thought it was done. Now, it’s not.” Not to mention, it’s reputation is in ruins for allowing someone to take control of its creator. It’s like the nice sci-fi themes he used to watch for fun but now leaves him with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. “I don’t know how to start over.”
“No one does.” She reaches back to grab her cape, fiddling with it in her hands before staring down. “You do it because you have to, not because you want to.”
She starts walking, giving a quick nod for him to as well. They round the corner to the main entrance, Lena standing in the light filtering in.
(She smiles of course when she sees him. But when she sees Kara?
Oh, she glows.)
“But,” a grin slowly appears on her face as she gives a jaunty little wave to Lena, “there’s always things that make it worth it.”
“Are you nervous?”
He glances down to Lena, drops his mouth in mock shock. “Me? Nervous? Never.”
“So yes? It’s just game night. I’ve been to a few.” Lena tugs at his jacket, “You keep fidgeting.”
“I don’t fidget.”
“You did when that girl winked at you in Noonan’s.” Lena smirks up at him, amusement clear in her eyes. “What happened to the suave act?”
He pulls at his sleeve, brushes over nonexistent wrinkles. “Yeah, well, so do you anytime Kara so much as breathes near you so-” Lena’s hand clamps over his mouth. “What are you,” he guides her hand away, “why are you doing that?”
“You’re being loud.”
“You act like she can hear me.” Lena’s eyes dart to the side, and oh, he’s kept his thoughts to himself, but if she knows-
“Lena! Jack!” A blonde blur pushes Lena back a few steps when Kara comes barreling out, arms wrapping around her quickly before pulling away. “You guys are just in time. I just told Winn that you were both coming and he’s hyperventilating and everything.”
He almost stops, but Kara loops an arm around his to pull him towards her door. “Is he okay?”
“Fine. Totally fine.”
Which is completely untrue if he bases it off the noise Winn makes when he walks in.
(It’s odd Lena had admitted over lunch one day.
For someone to be impressed by what you’ve done.
He had fallen silent after that. What was odd was that it had shocked Lena. That the very idea of someone focusing on only her and her achievements instead of the destruction her family leaves behind. There had been a pang in his chest then as Lena sat quietly trying to figure out a reason for someone to expect good things from her, because to her, there has to be one.
He thinks Lena astounds them daily by continuing to try and try.)
It’s a fun night. Beer, pizza, and games. Kara and her sister wipe the floor with all of them, but still, it’s all good fun. Winn, Lena, and Kara dragging him into debates while Alex seems content to keep everyone’s glasses full while she leans against Maggie. An easy atmosphere that he hasn’t visited since he was an undergraduate spending too much time in the labs without a care.
(The best thing by far is the warm smiles Lena and Kara share. Lena absentmindedly pressing a quick kiss to Kara’s cheek when Kara points out a salad is in the fridge for her instead of Lena facing the mountains of pizza, and the both of them stare at each other in shock before skittering away.
Kara and Winn dancing around the kitchen to Alex’s dismay only for Kara to pull Lena into it, the two of them giggling as they clumsily shuffle their feet.
There’s a familiarity to them, an equal give and take that they rely on. It’s warm and quiet and between the two of them.
It’s only a matter of time, he thinks.)
As a friend to both, he makes sure it’s sooner rather than later.
“You what?”
Lena isn’t fazed.
“I’m having a party. Just to schmooze with investors while having some fun.”
“I got that.” Lena twirls a finger in the air. “The second part.”
“Ah.” He waves the paper in the air. “Dates only.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I am.” Lena snatches the paper from his hands. “You’re not going to get a date acting like that.”
“This is blank.” Lena keeps her attention on it, flips it around as if the answer lies on the back. “Where’s the actual invitation?”
“Why?”
“You can’t just tell people-” Lena pinches the bridge of her nose, holds up her hand. “I know what you’re up to.”
“Ensuring everyone has a wonderful Friday night?”
“Jacky.”
He stands up from his desk, ignores the ball of paper Lena chucks at him. “You could always just not go. It’s no biggy.” He cups his chin in his hand and hums. “I did already give Kara an invitation though. I wonder who she’ll go with?”
Lena grips the arms of her chair. “You didn’t.” She leans back, and oh, she doesn’t look like the CEO of the fastest rising corporation. She scrubs a hand over her face when her phone chimes, but it fades away into a tender smile, lips faintly curving up.
“Tell Kara I said hello.” He waves when Lena presses her phone to her ear and stalks out, anger not completely forgotten. She turns when he calls her name, flips her hand over in question. “I’ll see you two there?”
She slams the door on her way out.
He begins to regret it when Lena doesn’t reply to his texts as the night go on.
Until he gets a call. “Hello?” He asks hesitantly, because the breathing on the other end is choppy and-
“She asked me and got me flowers, Jack.” Lena takes in a shuddering breath, voice still strained with giddiness. “We’ll see you there.”
“It’s good to hear you so happy, Lena,” he says, hopes it comes off as genuine as he means it and not a joke. He can’t help smiling at the pure excitement in Lena’s voice. “You deserve it.”
It’s quiet for a moment. The familiar shuffle as Lena passes the phone back in forth in her hands.
“Thank you.”
“Goodnight Lena.”
“Night Jack.”
(He thought Lena was happy that night, but it doesn’t compare to Lena and Kara spinning around at the party. Pressed close and slowly moving to the music.
If they happen to kiss, he makes sure there’s no press around to picture it.)
When an experiment literally blows up in their faces and sets his workfloor on fire, Kara’s there, breathing frost over the worst of it. He waits until she’s certain she’s gotten everyone else before he allows her to pick him up and slip through the window.
“Do you think Lena will be jealous, Kara?”
Kara’s hands jump, and oh, he’s this close to falling before Kara quickly grabs hold under his arms again. “Ha what? Psh. I’m not-”
He thinks to their last argument. “Pineapple pizza sucks.”
“Take that back Jack.” Kara sniffs, turning up her head and hair slapping her in the face. “That doesn’t prove anything.”
“Sometimes you float when Lena kisses you.”
“Oh gosh, do I?” Kara blanches, glancing down at him as she keeps them hovering in the air. “Okay, so yeah. How long?”
“A while.” He wiggles his dangling feet. “Which I would really like to discuss later, but back to the matter at hand. Do you think we could get James to get a good shot of this? Hey, maybe you should hold my legs too. A classic bridal carry would really get Lena riled up.”
“You’re horrible.”
He gets the picture. Not quite how he imagined though, Kara only allowing it when she’s not in her suit.
Somehow, it’s funnier. Kara with her glasses and cardigans not looking the least bit uncomfortable while holding him up.
Lena can’t control her laughter when she sees it.
She hangs it up beside the picture of all of them at Lena’s birthday party and a photo of her and Kara curled close together on the couch.
He finds her looking at the pictures more often than not. Just standing in the hall of her apartment staring, sometimes a hand reached out to touch one. Of smiling faces, some thrown back in laughter. Of her and Kara tangled together. Of all of them surrounded by food and drink, happy faces glowing under the lights.
He doesn’t understand it until Lena gives him a box of pictures. He gets through a picture of him arm wrestling James, and then the both of them going against Kara before he gets it.
(It’s tangible proof. That he’s here, and oh, that was hit or miss for a while.
Wondering if he was actually in control, if he was forgetting anything. Sometimes spinning around, breath caught in his chest at the sound of a sharp hum.
Right there in his hands, a reminder of what he has.)
It’s nice to have a place again. One that’s welcoming and supporting.
A home.