Chapter Text
It was supposed to be a one time thing.
Just to blow off some steam during finals after they'd both been kicked out of the library for fighting over the same book. Quick, dirty, easy.
Not generally words Alex likes associated with her, but whatever. She's exhausted and stressed and more than slightly horny, so the shift from shouting match in the quad at three AM to stumbling into a random dorm with her hands wandering an annoying stranger's torso and that same stranger's tongue in her mouth isn't an entirely unwelcome one.
Whoever this is finally manages to get her door unlocked, dragging Alex in by the front of her shirt. Alex kicks the door closed clumsily behind her, and tugs at the hem of the other girl's shirt.
"Up," she pants. "Off."
"Are you always this bossy?" the girl snarks, hissing a bit as Alex bites down hard on her neck, "or am I just lucky?"
So yeah. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. For both of them.
But the thing is, engineering and pre-med tend to be stressful. And every once in a while, they bump into each other, and things just sort of… happen. Again, and again, and again.
They're both running from something, burying it in each other as deep as they're able when they don't know each other and don't really care to. Nothing against Lena, of course- she seems great, and she fucks like a champion, but Alex isn't particularly interested in making friends with the girl she sometimes sleeps with. She doesn't need to care about anyone else- she's already hiding from the people she loves the most.
***
"What's got you all worked up? It's not even midterms," Alex gasps.
Lena looks up from what she's doing and flips her ponytail over her shoulder, visibly annoyed. "Are you complaining...?"
"No," Alex snorts, shifting and pushing a bit until Lena's attention returns to where she actually wants it. "Just surprised- Jesus, Luthor- just, kinda, I dunno, concerned?"
Lena huffs, resigning herself to having to talk for a second. "Look, Alex, I appreciate the effort and all. And no offense intended, but… that's really not what you're for. I have friends to talk about that stuff with, and that's not what this is. I don't need pity or 'concern' from my fuck buddy. Alright?"
"Yeah, alright."
"Good. Hang onto something."
Alex doesn't ask any more questions. Or, at least not any more coherent ones.
***
"So. Graduation is tomorrow."
Lena rolls her head to look at Alex and smirks. "Getting sentimental on me, Alex?"
Alex snorts, flopping onto her back. "Wouldn't dream of it."
"Good."
"Just, uh, it's been… fun?"
Lena laughs. "I can agree to that."
"You're- I know we're not friends, or whatever, and neither of us really wants that anyway, but… you're gonna do big things, Lena. Shake the whole world up."
"Thanks. You will too, if you're half as good with your hands in surgery as you are when you're with me."
Alex laughs aloud. "I'm better, actually."
"Chalk me up as jealous. So, you're off to National City."
"Yup. NC Gen. And you're gonna be in Metropolis."
"I am. Let me know if you're ever in town."
"Why, you gonna wanna catch up?" Alex laughs.
"No," Lena scoffs. "I'll be working crazy hours and I'll want to get laid. "
Alex shakes her head. Lena really is something else. "I'll keep that in mind."
It's funny. In another life, she and Lena would probably be good friends. They get along well enough. She's funny, smart enough to keep up with Alex, but there's just… Lena has walls and Alex honestly doesn't care enough to scale them. Nothing against her, or anything, but it's not part of the deal, not what either of them want. So it's actually okay, that this weird, good (?) thing between them is coming to a close. There are no hard feelings, just an odd sort of affection, at least on Alex's end.
Honestly, even after almost two years of… this, during high-stress periods, Alex still has no clue what Lena's thinking.
Case in point, Lena's suddenly on top of her, pressed flush with Alex from ankle to collarbone. "So, how set are you on walking across the stage tomorrow?" Lena husks into her ear, nipping at her earlobe and rocking her hips up into Alex. "Because I have some ideas…"
Alex grins and drags her in for a bruising kiss.
Sure, it's absolutely time for this to come to its natural end, with them on as good of terms as they ever were. Both their futures are bright, after all.
But… what the hell? Things between them can be done in the morning.
********
"Hey! Careful!"
Kara's ears perk up at the panic lacing an unfamiliar voice. She peeks over the railing of the rickety guard tower to see a rather harried girl around her age chasing after a toddler, who seems intent on sprinting directly into the ocean. "Ruby, would you slow down? Ruby!"
"You need some help?" Kara calls down.
The other girl looks around before finally looking up, squinting against the sun. "Y'know, normally I'd say no, but… yeah. Yeah, I could really use a hand, actually. She's driving me nu- Ruby! What are you- spit out that sand!" Kara laughs and vaults over the rail, dropping to the sand below lightly. The other girl raises her eyebrows at this little display. "Quite a jump. I'm glad you didn't hurt yourself doing that."
Kara flushes lightly. "It looks higher up than it is." (It doesn't. In fact, the opposite is true. But I digress.) "I can help you carry that stuff, you kinda brought… a lot."
The girl sighs, shaking her head ruefully as she surrenders some of her burdens to Kara. "I know, I know, it's just… this is our first trip to the beach, and I didn't want her to get bored, or hungry, or sunburnt… kids are exhausting."
Kara laughs, pretending to heft the umbrella, cooler, and chairs. "Babysitting duty?"
"Oh! No, um… that one's mine."
Kara cocks her head to the side, studying the little girl screeching happily a few yards ahead of them as they trudge down to the water. "She's cute," Kara finally decides, not really sure what else to say that won't be weird. Or, weird-er.
The girl smiles down at Kara, and wow, she's tall. "She's lucky she's cute," she grumbles, but there's enough love and lightness in her eyes as she watches her daughter that Kara can see it's just a joke. She's getting much better at this whole sarcasm thing.
They finally reach a spot they seem acceptable, and Kara sets the things she's lugging down in the sand. "Well, there ya go. If you need anything else, just let me know, okay? I'll hopefully be bored in that lifeguard tower over there."
The girl grins. "Thank you so much. She's not usually such a little monkey, but it is the first day of vacation. What're you gonna do?"
"How long are you in town for?"
"Eight weeks."
"That's a nice vacation."
"Yeah, I haven't been on vacation in like, four years, so I had some time built up at my job. She's been begging to go to the 'big beach' for almost a year- I never should've let her watch Lilo and Stitch, I swear..."
Kara laughs, keeping a wary eye on Ruby and the few other beach-goers out and about this early in the day. "That's one of my favorites, so I'm gonna have to disagree about not watching it." She forcefully beats away the flood of memories involving her sister who still won't take her calls, half the time. "Are you guys staying here in town?"
"Yeah. You've got the whole sleepy beach hideaway thing going. Do you live here?"
Kara nods, smiling. "Since I was 12. My foster mom and I live over on Baker."
The girl grins. "We're staying over there! We rented a house from… crap, I'm so bad with names. She was nice, anyway. Gave us the house for the summer for like, nothing."
Kara nods. "Sounds about right. People around here are usually pretty great."
"So I'm learning," the girl says, smiling big and bright.
Kara feels her her cheeks go red as her stomach does a stupid flip-flop thing, and she clears her throat. "Yeah. Um. I'm gonna be just… over there. Lifeguarding."
"We'll be here. Beaching."
Kara lets out a laugh. "Right. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"
"Of course. What was your name? Sorry, I'm sure you told me, I'm just the worst about remembering names."
"Oh, um, Kara. Kara Sorrel."
The girl- woman? No, just because she has a kid doesn't make her older- grins. "Pretty. It suits you." (If Kara thought she was red before) "I'm Sam Arias. The midget is Ruby."
Kara huffs out a laugh and sticks her hand out for Sam to shake. "Nice to meet you, Sam."
"Kara?"
She looks down to see Sam standing at the base of the tower, a sleeping Ruby on her hip. "Hey there!"
"So… funny story. My phone kinda died, and I don't really know how to get back to the house?"
Kara barks out a laugh, immediately cupping a hand over her mouth to stifle it when Ruby shifts a bit and murmurs in her sleep. "Sorry, that was rude."
Sam shakes her head with a sheepish smile. "No, you're right, this is funny. I just remember you saying you live nearby, so I was wondering if you could help me out?"
"Do you know the address?"
Sam sighs. "No, but I vaguely know what it looks like."
"Alrighty. Baker is… kinda long. Like, not 'spans several towns' long, but still long. My relief should be here in a few minutes, if you guys can hang out until then I can help you out, on one condition."
"What's that?"
"A lift? I usually walk the beach, but since you're going that way anyways…"
Sam narrows her eyes playfully. "You're not a serial killer, are you?"
"I am not," Kara confirms. "But if I was, I'd probably lie about it. Just saying."
"You're not helping yourself here, Kara."
Kara spots her fellow lifeguard plodding his way toward them, and hops down from her perch, landing in a crouch and popping lightly to her feet right in front of Sam.
"Please don't do that in front of my small human when she's awake. She will try to imitate it, and I'll have to kill you."
"Now who's a serial killer?"
Sam huffs out a laugh, shifting Ruby's dead-weight in her arms. "Ready to go?"
"Yup! Andy's got this, right Andy?"
"Yeah, yeah, weirdo," he yawns, pushing past her to get to the stairs. "You better not have eaten all my Cheez-Its again."
"I would never!"
(She totally had. And would again.)
They load the 'excessive amount of beach crap' (Sam's words) into her little not-quite-a-beater sedan and set out, Kara directing them easily through the quiet little town.
"And that's where everyone goes for ice cream, but it's a total tourist trap. The good ice cream is at Finn's over on Highwater."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah, Finn's is the best! The owner is a super nice guy, and he holds a contest every month for someone to invent a new flavor. It's kind of a big deal to get picked."
Sam smiles over at her knowingly. "Have you been picked before?"
"Yup! Twice- peanut butter and jelly was the first one, and the other one was Mexican chocolate. There were like, dried chilies in a really dark chocolate, it was awesome. You're gonna turn right, up at the light."
Sam nods. "So, an ice cream aficionado and a lifeguard. You're a many-layered woman."
Kara chuckles shyly, adjusting her glasses. "Me? Ha, nah, I'm really not. I'm just kinda… there."
Sam frowns a bit before she brightens. "Well, I'm glad you were there, or else I'd have started the rumor mill off as the idiot who got lost her first day in town."
"We can't have that. Make a left."
Sam follows her directions diligently, and whoops quietly when she sees a familiar house appear. "Hell ye- crap. Heck yes! Thank you!"
"This is your place?" Kara asks, looking at the house with an odd expression on her face.
"For the next eight weeks. Oh, crap, I need to give you a ride home! I've got our address now, so-"
"It's all good, I can walk home," Kara says with a grin, unbuckling her seatbelt and hopping out of the car.
Sam frowns as she follows suit. "Are you sure? It's really no trouble, I feel bad-"
"Sam, I promise, it's a short walk."
Sam's about to continue arguing when she hears Ruby sleepily call for her from her carseat in the back. "Alright, if you're sure. Thanks again, I really appreciate it."
"Of course! I'm a lifeguard- we're supposed to help!"
Sam grins. "Pretty sure that's just at the beach."
Kara frowns, seemingly perplexed. "Oh."
Sam snorts. "You're cute. I'll see you around?"
"Yup! I work, like, all the time, so just, y'know, come say hi at the beach. But, if you ever want, I could, like, show you guys around town? It's a nice place, and I'd hate for you to miss out on something just because we locals hid it."
"I'd really like that."
Kara positively beams, and Sam's attention is only pulled away when Ruby yells. "I should get her inside."
"Alright. I'll see you soon!" Kara lopes away, and Sam watches in disbelief as she bounds up the stairs of the beachy white house across the street and waves cheerfully before ducking inside.
She laughs under her breath, because of course the pretty lifeguard lives across the street.
Of course she does.
***
Kara stays true to her word, becoming their very enthusiastic tour guide around the sleepy little town. She brings them to Finn's, shows them the best place to fish off the pier, and, with Sam's reluctant permission, takes Ruby out on her surfboard and lazily paddles them around in the waves, much to the little girl's delight. She even joins them once or twice for movie night, invites them over to her own house in kind and if Eliza isn't the sort of mother every person needs to have, Sam doesn't know who is.
Which is just… it's shit, is what it is, actually, because Sam is not a cliche who falls for pretty blonde lifeguards who surf and eat ice cream with the sort of unbridled joy rivaled only by her toddler. Her toddler who loves said surfing lifeguard.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Fine.
So, after a month of smiling and laughing and lazy swims and sandy feet, Sam screws up all her courage, bunches Kara's red lifeguard hoodie in her fists, and kisses her for all she's worth.
Single moms get a shot at a summer fling too, right?
Which, yes, apparently they do, judging by Kara's soft noise of surprise, followed by a big smile that makes her impossible to kiss as she wraps Sam up in her arms.
"Yuck!" Ruby yells, clearly horrified by the sight of her mother kissing, even at the age of three.
They break apart, laughing and blushing and scuffing their feet in the sand.
"I was kinda hoping I'd get to do that," Kara admits, face flaming.
Sam grins. "Oh yeah?"
She nods, rubbing the back of her neck ruefully. "I almost did, like, a bunch of times, but I kept chickening out."
"Then I feel like that's on you."
Kara barks out a laugh, and they're back to normal, except for the way Kara shyly reaches over and links her pinkie through Sam's as they walk, aiming for casual and missing by a mile.
Sam sighs fondly, wiggling her hand until Kara's is clasped properly in hers.
She's ridiculous.
***
Kara takes them stargazing a week or so later, and Ruby falls asleep almost immediately, lulled by the dark and the low sound of Kara telling stories about the constellations that Sam's never heard before.
It's nice, and almost perfect, and Sam hates that she's about to ruin it.
"Kara," she says quietly, stroking a hand over Ruby's head, "you- you know we have to leave, still, right?"
Kara turns, smiles a little sadly. "I know. I'm not… I won't do that movie thing, where I make a big deal and beg you not to, or whatever. I like you, a lot, but I know you've got a life to get back to."
Sam reaches out with her free hand, finding Kara's in the dark. "I like you too. For the record."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Cool. Um, I'm leaving too, at the end of the summer. I got into NCU, so I'm moving there the first week in September."
Sam squeezes her hand. "That's great, Kara. Really."
"Thanks. I'm kinda nervous, but I think I'm ready, y'know?"
"Yeah. Good for you."
Kara smiles at her. "We can still, like, be friends and stuff, right? Even though I don't- you're not wanting to do long distance?"
"No, I'm- it'd be too hard, I think."
"Agreed. So, friends?"
Sam squeezes her hand again, grins over at her. "Friends. But, we've still got a few weeks yet, before we have to just be friends. Any ideas what to do with them?"
Kara smiles, and it's bright even in the dark. "A couple. How do you feel about Eliza babysitting?"
Sam giggles, agreeing that, "That sounds like an excellent idea, how about tonight?" and shaking with silent laughter when Kara manages to choke on air.
They're gonna part ways, and it'll suck, but they're both gonna be just fine.
Sam knows, somehow, deep in her bones, that it'll all work out.
********
They've been standing on the threshold of Sam's apartment for about ten minutes while Lena fidgets nervously in the decorative mirror Sam hung there, smoothing imaginary wrinkles and flyaway hairs that only she can see.
Finally, Sam has had enough. "You know she won't critique your fashion sense, right?"
Lena shoots Sam a pointed look. "First impressions are important."
"She's nine, Lena. And she already knows you."
"Still."
Sam sighs, catching Lena's hands in her own and brushing a kiss across her knuckles. "Please relax? We've all hung out, gone to the movies, all that jazz. She already really likes you, and you're already part of the family, you know that."
"I- we weren't dating when we did all that," Lena protests. "It's different."
"It's only different if you keep being weird, Lena. Ruby adores you, thinks you're the coolest person ever- god knows why."
Lena shoots her a glare. "Thanks."
"Please just relax, okay? Everything is going to be great. You're Lena Luthor, you charm billionaires out of their money for fun, I feel like you can handle a kid who already thinks you're awesome."
Lena huffs at her, but she's smiling, at least, so Sam decides to take the victory where she can get it. They make their way into the living room, where Ruby is doing something impressive with a character on the screen, making her flip and soar through the air with ease. Her character does a celebratory dance, music plays, and Ruby saves her game. She turns to Lena with a grin. "Hey, Lena."
Normal. Same as ever.
And Lena relaxes, just a little. "Hey, Ruby. What are you playing?"
Ruby launches into a ramble, which has Lena grinning and settling on the couch beside her, indulging the girl's excitement to share.
Sam smiles, pressing a kiss to Lena's temple and settling behind her on the couch.
This- they- are good.
This can work.
***
"Sam, what are we doing, exactly? You're going to be late for work."
"Yeah, well, I have it on good authority that my boss is gonna be late too."
"Oh really?" Lena arches a brow, her expression of clear challenge ruined by the smile she's fighting.
"Yup. In fact, I heard that she's not gonna be in all weekend."
This draws Lena up short. "What do you mean all weekend?"
Sam grins, sliding her sunglasses onto her face and throwing an arm across Lena's shoulders to continue steering her to their destination. "Yeah, craziest thing. Apparently her girlfriend- who I hear is just stupid hot-"
"Could've stopped at stupid," Lena mutters, though her smile belies her words.
"-convinced her assistant to switch some things around, and she's taking the weekend off to go to the beach. What would you say to that?"
"I'd say that I hate the beach."
Sam grins over at her. "What if I told you that Ruby is staying at a friend's for a few days? And that I didn't want to spend the weekend in a cute little beach house all alone, miles away from everyone?"
"Oh. Miles, you say?"
She leans down and presses a lingering kiss to Lena's ear. "And what if I told you that this place is so remote that, well, I didn't see the point in bringing a bikini?"
Lena clears her throat, cheeks a bit pink. "Well, I'd hate for you to have to go alone."
Sam laughs, swatting Lena lightly on the butt and making her jump as she leads her to the car. "Attagirl."
Sam was right- this place is remote, and right on the beach, too. It must've cost an arm and a leg to rent for the weekend.
But it's also gorgeous, all airy and bright, with soaring ceilings and smelling of sunshine and salt. Everything is dappled white and gray and palest blue, and paired with the floor to ceiling windows it lends the entire house a sort of dreamy, ethereal quality.
"Wow," Lena breathes.
Sam leans against the doorway, smiling as she watches Lena. "Wow is right."
Lena turns, sees Sam watching her, and rolls her eyes. "Cheesy."
"You like it."
"No," Lena scoffs, clearly lying.
Sam chuckles and pushes off from the wall, moving until she's standing in Lena's space. "Yeah, yeah. Happy anniversary, nerd."
Lena smiles into the kiss she offers. "Happy anniversary, love."
***
"Lena?" The apartment is dark, which Sam was expecting. She picks her way carefully through the space, collecting discarded clothes and (worryingly) wine bottles as she goes. "Lena!"
She walks into the bedroom and finds her girlfriend- or, at least, a lump on the bed that she assumes is her girlfriend.
"Lena."
The lump shifts, and, sure enough, Lena's head appears through the mess of blankets and bedsheets, looking totally confused. "Oh. Hey."
Sam lets out a sound that's halfway between a laugh and a sob as she drops the laundry into the hamper and crawls up the bed. "Hey."
Lena blinks, seemingly taking in her surroundings for the first time. "We-were we supposed to hang out, today? I must've lost track of time, I'm sor-"
"No, hey, no, we- we didn't have plans. I was um… I'm kinda worried, about you. Haven't heard from you in almost a week."
Lena's eyes widen. "A week? No, I called you yesterday."
"Lena, hon, you called me last Thursday," Sam says gently, smoothing a few lank locks of hair from Lena's face.
"And what's today?"
"Tuesday."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh." She cups Lena's face in her hands, presses a kiss between her brows. "Let's get you up, okay?"
"Yeah. Sam?"
"Yeah, baby?"
There's a stretch of silence as Lena's eyes fill with tears. "I don't think I'm okay. I really… god, I really miss my brother."
And oh, how Sam's heart breaks at this. "I know, hon. I've got you, okay?
"I've got you."
She knew as soon as she watched the news. As soon as she saw Lena, with red-rimmed eyes and a stoic expression, talking to the press on the steps of LuthorCorp. She knew when Lena was in meetings for hours on end in the weeks after Lex's arrest. Knows when the calls become less frequent, the visits rare and the promises unkept.
She knew.
Sam has always known Lena so well.
So it's no surprise when Lena accepts the appointment to CEO of her family's company.
It does seem to be a surprise to Lena.
"I don't- I never wanted this. I'm not the one who's supposed to be in charge," she mutters. "But it was either me or my mother, and there are thousands of people depending on LuthorCorp and I just… I had to."
"I know," Sam says, because she does.
And she knows what's coming next.
Lena lets out a shuddering sigh. "The board… they want to move headquarters. Change the name, change our image. 'Distance ourselves', they said."
Sam swallows thickly, trying her best not to pick at her nails. "Where are you going?"
"National City."
"Oh. That, um. That's far. When do you leave?"
Lena swallows. "A month. I'm supposed to oversee the construction of our new sites."
And Sam knows what that means. "Right."
"Sam-"
"No, I- someone told me once they weren't gonna do 'that movie thing' where they beg me not to leave. So I won't do that to you."
Lena takes her hand, holds it tight. "God. Fuck. I love you, I just… I can't be here, and I'm not in a good place to begin with. You shouldn't have to take care of me."
"Someone should take care of you." Sam sighs, squeezing Lena's hand.
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's still true. I mean it, Lena- when you're gone, when- when I'm not around, let someone take care of you. I don't care if it's Jess. Just, let someone be there for you."
"I'll try." She lets out a shuddering breath. "I love you. I can't believe we're breaking up, right now."
"Wait, we're what?" Lena whips around, eyes wide and watery, only to see Sam giggling through her tears. "Gotcha."
Lena lets out a wet laugh, slapping at Sam as she curls into a ball to protect herself. "Oh my god, I cannot believe you did that. I'm already a mess, and you- you're such an asshole."
Sam laughs, wrapping Lena up in a hug. "I'm sorry, I had to, it was right there, and I am weak."
Lena tucks her face into Sam's neck, laughing and laughing until suddenly, she isn't laughing anymore. She's just outright sobbing, and Sam's arms are wrapped tight around her. "I don't- I don't have anyone left," she gasps. "I'm just… I'm sorry, I don't- I can't just… I don't have any family, now."
"Fuck that," Sam says fiercely, pulling away so she can look Lena in the eye. "Fuck that. Ruby and I are your family."
"Sam-"
"No. Lena, I told you when we first got together, you're stuck with us, okay? And I meant it. This isn't gonna be one of those things where we say we'll stay in touch and be friends and then never do. You're my best friend. We were best friends before we started having sex, and we're best friends now. You're always gonna have me, okay? Just… not in the same way."
"But I like the sex," Lena jokes, laughing even as she cries.
"Yeah, well, so do I. Too bad for us, huh?"
"Yeah," Lena says, eyes red and streaming with tears. "Too bad for us."
********
Alex sees the news about Lena Luthor taking over her family's company after her brother's downfall, sees her standing tall and steely-eyed as she addresses the press about the upcoming move to National City.
She pulls out her phone, clicks the contact she's never bothered to delete, and types up some sympathetic thing full of platitudes. Her finger hovers over the send button. She sighs and deletes the entire thing. She knows that Lena won't want to read something like this, and, well, like Lena had said, they were never really friends in the first place.