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lena-in-a-red-dress · 2 years

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My Fake (Girl)friend: the My Fake Boyfriend Supercorp AU

Kara is a stunt actor gunning for a stunt cooridnator position who is in an on again off again relationship with Siobhan, the lead of the tv show Kara works on. Kara is over the moon for this chick, but Siobhan keeps sleeping with other people even after she agrees to be monogamous with Kara.

On the tenth break up, Kara's best and most well meaning friends Winn and Lyra unleash the "nuclear" option: setting up a fake girlfriend and posting official "We're dating" announcements on all of Kara's socials.

Kara is initially horrified, but when Siobhan is furious and jealous, Kara gets a little taste of what it's like to have power in a relationship. So she agrees to keep it going.

Except when Kara drops off her elderly neighbor at a cooking class, the instructor-- a beautiful woman with dark hair and a stunning smile-- catches Kara's eye. But she doesn't approach the woman. Just stares for a moment as the woman drops some recycle at the curb before throwing the car back in gear and driving off. Then reversing to check her out one more time. Then getting out and sneaking into the classroom behind the woman, posing as a student.

The cooking class is held above a restaurant owned and head chefed by the instructor-- whose name is Lena. Kara watches awkwardly as she stares, listening to the chef explain the day's recipe.

As the students gat started, Lena makes the rounds, stopping by each work station to give students personal attention. When she gets to Kara, she introduces herself, and admits that Kara's neighbor talks about her all the time. Then she notices Kara's horribly dangerous cutting techniques, and does the whole "standing close and guiding the person's hands" thing. Kara is smitten.

Meanwhile, Siobhan gets Kara pulled from the show, so she's now unemployed. She's suddenly desperate and frantic, but Winn talks her down. This is a good thing. She's out from under Siobhan's thumb, for good.

Kara picks up some extra shifts at the side gig she has at the gym, but she's still on the edge of misery. Despite the success of her fake online relationship, she's alone. She's unemployed.

Until Winn informs her that her fake girlfriend advertised her stunt reel on her insta and secured a meeting for her with the showrunner/director of her old show.

When Siobhan sees Kara back on set, she gets cocky and showboats "oh, so I see you're back to beg me for your job back" until the director is like "actually, she's my guest" and guides her to his office for a private chat.

But the job isn't for the show. It's for an upcoming film the director is going to work on. A big budget blockbuster that is going to make Kara a name in the industry. It's her big break, and she gets the job.

To celebrate, Kara takes Winn and Alex out to dinner. At Lena's restaurant. At this point, Kara doesn't know if Lena is even into women, but this is in no way a recon mission. It's just for general opinions. Right? Right.

The plan is blown out of the water when Lyra and Winn decide to test the waters. Low buttoned shirts, come hither eyes, engaging smiles. Just to see who Lena responds to more, man or woman. But Lena only has eyes for Kara.

She takes the slightest excuse to comp dinner for their dinner, breaks out her best dishes to impress them, and even serves the table herself when the food is ready.

Winn ruins the evening over the dessert when he drunkenly tells Lena about Kara's new girlfriend, who actually just hit 1.6 million subscribers and signed on to be come the face of an LGBTQ vodka campaign. Kara tries to back out of it, but then reluctantly confirm it when Winn elbows her sharply.

For brief moment, Lena is crushed, but she covers it well. Especially when Kara quickly redirects the conservation back to Lena and her successful restaurant in NYC. Which Winn soon implodes by interjecting with the fake girlfriend's successes-- and ability to land a big beautiful fish like Kara.

Lena quickly excuses herself to close up shop, and Kara immediately pulls her friends out of the restaurant. They proceed to have an argument on the street outside.

The girlfriend is fake, yet real enough to land Kara her dream job-- which Kara points out only happened because the fake girlfriend lost her her job in the first place. Kara never should have gone along with this.... except she did. She wanted to do it, because it made her feel powerful for the first time in her life. Without Winn's help, Kara would still be stuck in a dead end relationship with a woman who treated her like shit. Everything Kara has now is because of Winn and the fake girlfriend.

Kara storms off, hurt and angry, and Winn sulks behind his computer late into the night. He'd only wanted to help his friend, but if what he was doing was only hurting her...

Ding.

The fake girlfriend gets a message.

From Siobhan.

Informing fake girlfriend that Kara was about to cheat on them-- with her.

They rush to Kara's apartment, only to find Siobhan already storming away. Kara-- for the first time since the start of the relationship-- had turned her away. But it wasn't the fake girlfriend that gave Kara the power to do it-- it was the thought of Lena.

Lena and her pretty eyes and warm smile.

Lena and her strong hands around Kara's, gently guiding her through chopping a carrot.

Lena and her kind, genuine gestures at the restaurant.

Lena and the feelings she sparked in Kara's chest, which made Kara realize how hollow her thing with Siobhan had been.

It's Lena's socials that Kara scrolls through the next morning-- pictures and videos of food and cooking and cats (Lena seems to have several). Warm photos of her with friends and family, some in exotic places, some in places that appear to be competitions of some kind. Even some throwback thursdays of Lena as a beaming dark haired girl.

When her sister Alex finally arrives, eager to hear all the details of Kara's thing with the fake girlfriend-- how dare Kara make her learn about it through social media, first of all-- which she has been following avidly since the first announcement.

Kara tries to tell Alex the truth, but her sister barely lets her get a word in edgewise. In the end, all she can do is share that she's taking cooking classes-- which is true. It's not her fault Alex assumes she's taking the classes with the fake girlfriend.

Kara assumes that Lena has cooled off towards her after the restaurant visit, but to her surprise she finds a new face tentatively smiling at her in the self defense classes she teaches at the gym. It's Lena, padded up and awkwardly standing apart from the others, clearly nervous.

But despite her nerves, Lena is the first to volunteer for a demonstration, and this time it's Kara's turn to guide Lena's body, moving through the motions of disengaging from an attacker. By the end of it, a pretty flush pinkens Lena's cheeks, and Kara feels a similar blush climbing up her own neck.

Sadly, they're interrupted when the gym manager informs Kara that she has a sparring request from a regular. An over enthusiastic boxer. Which isn't really Kara's thing, but she's the only one on shift capable of holding her own. But when she's overwhelmed and knocked across the ring, the client is too caught up in the moment to realize that Kara's wind has been knocked out of her.

But just as the big guy comes in for the finishing blow, Lena suddenly blurs into the ring, blocking the guy's blow before smoothly sweeping his legs out from under him. Kara and the rest of the gym stare as Lena waits a beat to see if the dude will spring back up to continue his charge. When he doesn't, Lena then turns to Kara and gives her a hand up.

"You okay?" Lena asks.

Kara nods, still gasping a little. "Yeah. Thanks."

Afterwards, in the locker room, Lena catches Kara staring in the mirror. Slightly embarrassed, Kara strikes up a conversation.

"What was that, by the way? MMA?"

Lena blushes, caught out herself. "Our parents wanted us to be able to hold our own when we were kids. The bug kinda stuck with me. Just a hobby though. Nothing like what you do."

"Still. Looks like you're a little advanced for my intro class."

Lena's blush deepens. She clears her throat. "Well. Lyra invited me while you were at the restaurant. I didn't want to be rude."

Kara only stares.

"Well," Lena continues. "Catch you around?"

Kara nods dumbly. As soon as Lena is gone, Kara thuds her head against the lockers.

What is wrong with her?

----

Kara continues to come to cooking class. One day, Lena awkwardly brings up fake girlfriend for the first time.

"I, um-- I just wanted to thank you," Lena stammers, "and your girlfriend. What she did was really generous."

Kara jolts. "What did she do?"

"She mentioned the restaurant in one of her posts. Now we're booked out for months." Lena gives a bashful smile. "It's strange... to be honest, I've been wondering for a while whether the restaurant was going to work, but now-- it finally feels like it will."

Somehow, by the end of the conversation, Kara invites Lena to have dinner with them. Meaning herself. And her fake girlfriend.

She tries to get out of it later. Girlfriend is sick, oh shucks. Raincheck?

Lena offers to bring over some homemade soup.

Goddamnit why does she have to be so nice?

With a desperate call to her friends, Winn and Lyra come in clutch. They fake the girlfriend getting sick in the bathroom, encouraging Lena and Kara to go out without them pretending to hurk.

Outside, Lena suggests a surprise. She takes Kara not to a fancy restaurant, but to a grimy roller rink, complete with cheese sauce fries and greasy pizza. Kara has a blast. They talk as they skate, sharing their entire life stories. By the end, Kara thinks she could live in Lena's smile, her laugh.

"It's a shame your girlfriend couldn't make it tonight."

Oh.

Kara deflates. Right. For a few blissful hours, she's been able to forget.

Kara's resolve hardens.

Fuck it.

"Actually, tonight has been the most fun I've had in ages," she says. When Lena looks at her in concern, she continues. "I mean, you know. She travels a lot, and even when she's here, she's not fully here. Not really."

Kara doubles down.

"Honestly, it feels like we've been on our last legs for a while now."

Lena takes her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm so sorry. I know that must feel awful."

"You do?"

Lena shrugs. "Let's just say I can relate. Haven't had much luck in the girlfriend department myself."

The revelation hits Kara like a freight train. How anyone could have someone like Lena and not cherish every moment with her was an idiot.

And an asshole.

Kara makes her decision.

The very next morning, Kara barges into Winn's apartment and informs him that she doesn't need fake girlfriend anymore. Siobhan is officially out of the picture, she's in love with Lena, and she's done with the lies and the bullshit.

"I just wanna be me again."

But Winn refuses. The sponsorships and endorsements have been keeping him busy and keeping him solvent. It's his only source of income, and the level of work and time makes fake girlfriend his, not Kara's. Kara doesn't get to call the shots.

Except Lyra overhears. Lyra-- who agrees with Kara and resents the wedge Winn's obsession with fake girlfriend has driven between them-- takes Winn's laptop and before he can lock her out of the accounts, posts a fake headline declaring a plane crash that takes the life of a famous influencer: fake girlfriend.

Winn is devastated, but instead of comforting her friend, Kara bolts, barely taking the time to give Lyra a nod of gratitude.

As much as Kara wants to immediately run to Lena and announce the news, she knows she can't. She can't tell her the whole story, and so she needs to play the grieving girlfriend. She focuses on her new job, devoting every waking thought to it. But when an onset mishap causes the crew to believe she's crying for the loss of her girlfriend, she's dismissed from the film and her job with instructions to take time for herself during this difficult time.

Kara is left back at square one: alone and jobless. Winn isn't faring much better. They make up together over some ice cream while bingeing the entirety of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Until Winn reveals that Absolut is sponsoring a public funeral for fake girlfriend.

Which Kara must attend or else look like a monstrous person who can't even show up for her dead girlfriend.

The matter is further complicated when Lena shows up at the funeral in support of Kara, and also the fact that Siobhan has been obsessively following the social media trail of fake girlfriend back to Winn, and has discovered the secret truth.

When Siobhan reveals the truth after crashing the wedding, Lena is the first to run-- Kara tries to stop her, clasping her by the wrist in an effort to explain. Lena twists away using the very method Kara taught in self defense class, pausing only a moment to stare at Kara in equal parts horror and anger and hurt before vanishing out the door.

In the days that follow, Lyra kicks Winn out of their apartment, leaving him to slum it with Kara as they hide from the fallout. Lena refuses to talk to her, Lyra refuses to talk to Winn.

Eventually, it's Kara's elderly neighbor is the one to help her resolve things. They encourage her to go all out, to show Lena and Lyra the real people behind the lies that consumed their lives. And they agree to be the maitre'd for the very fancy and very homecooked meal Kara and Winn prepare for their respective (hopefully) girlfriends.

Lyra and Lena meet in the hallway outside Kelly's apartment, discovering that said elderly neighbor had lured them both their under false pretenses. Before they can leave, however, the neighbor opens the door and beckons them inside.

Unable to refuse one of their favorite people, they two enter the apartment to find a fancy enormous spread of food and both Kara and Winn dolled up in fancy suits, waiting for them.

Taking their respective people aside, Kara and Winn share their heartfelt apologies, and beg for the chance to talk over dinner-- not to offer excuses, but to offer them their true selves again.

"I'm so sorry, Lena," Kara says over the appetizers. "I know I never should have lied to you, but I promise... the person you met is real. I was always myself when I was with you-- both the good and the horrendously awkward. The truth is, I think I've like you since the day we meant. My attraction to you was never fake. I hope you can believe that."

"I want to," Lena says hesitantly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It's just--"

"I haven't really given you a reason to," Kara finishes for her when Lena trails off. She takes a deep, quaking breath. "I know, and I'm sorry. But if you can trust me enough, just enough to let me try to show--"

She stops when Lena stands abruptly, halting the conversation. When Lena leaves the table without a word, Kara fights the sudden surge of tears that burns at her eyes. Hanging her head low, she swallows rapidly against the urge to sob in defeat.

Then, from the corner of her eye, she sees Lena's hand reach for her.

Kara looks up and finds Lena standing on the edge of what's turned into an informal dance floor, where Winn and Lyra already sway gently to the soft music the elderly neighbor has put on.

"Dance with me?" Lena says. Her eyes are soft and glittery in the christmas lights that Kara's strung throughout the room, and Kara us struck dumb by the sight.

Almost unbelievingly, Kara takes Lena's hand, only accepting this as reality when she's tugged from her seat and into Lena's arms.

As they begin to sway, Lena rests her head on Kara's shoulder. "I really like you too." A beat of silence follows. "And just between us, I actually hated your girlfriend. Just-- so much."

Kara laughs, loud and genuine.

Lena lifts her head, bestowing Kara with a megawatt smile.

"So you wouldn't mind being my real girlfriend?" Kara asks, getting herself under control, but unable to banish her own smile.

Partly pulling away, Lena cups Kara's cheeks with both hands.

"I'd love nothing more."

When their lips touch in their first kiss, Kara's heat clicks back into place.