Chapter Text
Lena Luthor stood in the middle of her newly purchased living room, surrounded by unpacked boxes, the scent of fresh paint lingering in the air. A deep breath filled her lungs a breath that felt lighter, as if the weight of Metropolis had finally begun to lift from her shoulders. It felt liberating to be here.
“Mommy, I want pizza!” the sound of her daughter Leni’s voice cut through Lena’s thoughts. The little girl, a spitting image of Lena with dark hair and bright eyes, was sprawled on the floor, playing with a plush bear. Leni’s cheerful spirit always warmed Lena’s heart.
“Pizza sounds like a great idea, sweetie,” Lena replied with a smile, plopping herself down on the floor next to her. “What kind do you want?”
“Pepperoni! With extra cheese!” Leni exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. “Can we get the big one so we have leftovers?”
“Of course! It’s our first dinner in our new house. We need to celebrate!” Lena took her phone from her pocket and scrolled through a search she had done earlier for local pizzerias. Danver's Pizzeria had received excellent reviews and even had a cozy look to it.
She tapped the app and ordered a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. While waiting for the food, Leni continued to buzz about their new home, talking animatedly about how she wanted to decorate her room.
“I want unicorns and fairies, Mommy!” Leni exclaimed, her imagination vivid.
“Of course, we can make that happen,” Lena said, smiling at her daughter's enthusiasm.
As the timer for the delivery ticked down, Lena couldn’t shake off the feeling of anxiety gnawing at her. It was strange to feel free yet uneasy at the same time. But every laugh from Leni reminded her why they had made this leap.
*Knock! Knock*
“Pizza’s here!” Leni shouted, sprinting toward the door. Lena laughed softly, wiping her palms on her jeans before following closely behind.
When Lena opened the door, there stood a tall, blonde woman with long hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. She wore a bright red Danver's Pizzeria shirt and a pair of thick glasses perched on her nose. Her blue eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and nervousness, and a wide, shy smile appeared on her face.
“Hello! I’m here to deliver your pizza!” the woman said, her voice warm yet somewhat jittery. “Um, I hope you like it. I mean, it’s from Danver’s, so it should be good!”
“Thank you! We ordered a large pepperoni.” Lena smiled back, a gentle sense of camaraderie growing. She noticed the woman’s cheeks turn a faint shade of pink.
“Right! Large pepperoni!” The woman fumbled with the pizza bag, almost dropping it in her eagerness to set it down eyes glancing at the empty boxes littering the living room. “I hope you’re settling in well! National City is super great, you know? I’ve lived here forever! Well, more like a couple years, but it’s still forever! Haha uh…sorry. I tend to ramble.”
Lena couldn’t help but chuckle. “No worries at all. I’m Lena, and this is my daughter, Leni.”
“Hi, Leni!” The woman waved enthusiastically. “I’m Kara, like the…uh, like the…super kind?” She giggled awkwardly, clearly flustered. “You know, from the ‘Super’ city? If there was an official title for me, it would be ‘Super Pizza Delivery Girl.’”
Leni giggled, captivated by Kara’s odd charm. “Do you really have super powers?” she asked, her eyes wide with certainty.
“Maybe! I mean, I can eat a lot of pizza. That’s a power, right?” Kara laughed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
“Totally! Mommy can eat a lot of pizza too!” Leni replied, looking up at Lena.
“Alright, alright, it’s a superpower we share,” Lena added, rolling her eyes playfully. "I guess we should join the league of pizza enthusiasts."
Kara beamed, clearly delighted by Leni’s cheerful banter. “It’s an exclusive group! Only the best pizza lovers can join!”
“Do you want to join our pizza party?” Leni suddenly asked, her little face lighting up with hope. “You can stay and eat pizza with us! It’s our first day in the house!”
“Oh, n-no, I couldn’t possibly,” Kara sputtered, her cheeks flushing even deeper. “Delivery people aren’t supposed to, um, hang around! That’s against the rules. And it’s, you know, not super safe you could be a criminal mastermind or…um or one of those pizza raiders! What if you’re just luring me in so you can steal my pizza delivery powers?”
Lena laughed, unable to resist the infectious enthusiasm radiating from both her daughter and Kara. “I assure you, we’re just trying to celebrate a new beginning here, no criminal masterminds involved and especially no pizza thieves!”
Kara punctuated her nervousness with a hearty laugh, “Well, that’s a relief! And I appreciate the trust, really! I’m just usually…you know, not great with social stuff.” She pressed the pizza bag into Lena’s hands. “But I hope you enjoy the pizza! I’ve read that it’s the best in town.”
“I’m sure it is! Thank you, Kara,” Lena said, settling the box on the entryway table. “You know, if you’re ever in the mood for some pizza yourself, all you have to do is stop by!”
“Really? Like, on purpose?” Kara said, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
“Yeah!. It’s a pizza party, after all!” Leni chimed in, practically bouncing in place. “We could have fun games and even some unicorn cake!”
Kara’s eyes sparkled, and for a brief moment, Lena could see a glimpse of how much the invitation meant to her. “Oh wow! Unicorn cake? You’re serious?”
“Of course! I can make it,” Leni said with all the confidence of a five-year-old who believed she could already bake masterpieces.
“Okay, I’m intrigued!” Kara clapped her hands, looking quite animated. “I’ve never been to a unicorn cake party before. What’s your secret ingredient? Rainbow sprinkles?”
“Definitely! And magic!” Leni giggled, her imagination running wild. She turned to Lena. “Mommy, can we invite her?”
Caught off guard by her daughter's enthusiasm, Lena felt her heart warm at the idea after years of tension and hiding, could she really open up her life to someone new? “Um, sure… if she’s interested.”
Kara’s eyes grew wide with possibility. “Would you really? I mean, that sounds amazing! But I’m not sure I could bring enough magic to the party, I don’t even have a cape… or pizza powers,” she stammered, looking more uncertain than enthusiastic.
“Every party needs a little weirdness!” Lena reassured her with a teasing smile. “I mean, look at us. We’re the Luthors, and we just moved here. We’re basically the front row to ‘Weird in National City.’”
Kara laughed nervously, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Okay, but if I do come, you both have to promise to keep it low-key. My friends tell me I can be a bit… oddly out of place.”
Leni beamed, clapping her hands. “You’ll fit right in! Mommy and I are both a little bit quirky.”
“Maybe even a lot quirky!” Lena added, her tone lighthearted.
“Wow, this place must be a haven for crazies!” Kara quipped, her bashfulness starting to melt away. “You won’t have a problem with a little pizza-obsessed girl and a delivery girl who can barely talk to humans, then?”
“Well, I’d say you’re handling this quite well. Look at you! You delivered the pizza without slipping or falling,” Lena encouraged, earning Kara’s shy smile.
“True! I’m like… a pizza pro!” Kara wiggled her eyebrows, trying to be silly, her awkwardness endearing. “And now I’m in a new town wearing a pizza shirt! Is there a badge for this?”
“I could make you a badge!” Leni squealed, already diving into an imaginary world where she handcrafted little awards. “Though, I might just use stickers, like the ones I got from school!”
“Oh, stickers! Awesome! I’ll take the biggest one you have, with flowers!” Kara was clearly enamored. “That would be, like, my ultimate pizza delivery badge!”
Lena watched the two energize each other, feeling a warmth settle in her chest. Maybe this was the kind of connection she needed right now a reminder that things could feel normal again, despite the chaos she had left behind.
As if reading Lena's mind, Kara said, “You know, I um, I actually do hope to see you again. I mean, the invitation and everything. And hey, if you need help around the house or someone to… uh, you know, help kid-proof the place or anything like that, I'm your girl.”
“Thanks, Kara,” Lena said, grateful for the offer. “I may take you up on that. A second set of eyes never hurts, and I could use a break. Moving into a new house is exhausting!”
“Tell me about it my apartment is basically a black hole of takeout boxes and laundry, and it also has a pretty impressive collection of dust bunnies,” Kara chimed in, laughing lightly. “You know, one time I found a dust bunny that had formed a mini-territorial empire under my couch. I think it had its own flag and everything!”
Lena laughed, picturing Kara battling dust bunnies as if they were supervillains. “I can only imagine how wild that must have been! Maybe we could join forces someday and tackle dust kingdoms together.”
Kara was grinning like a kid with a secret. “I’m totally down for that! We could even create an army of cleaning supplies—we’ll call it the ‘Dust Buster Brigade.’ Sounds epic!”
Before Lena could respond, her phone buzzed, cutting through the humorous moment. She picked it up, just glancing at it. But before she could share a small distraction, Kara’s phone buzzed too, causing her to look down at the screen.
“Oh, it’s Alex!” Kara’s expression shifted to concern. “She’s probably looking for me. I told her I’d be right back after this delivery.”
“Alex? Your… boss?” Lena asked, raising an eyebrow as she recalled Alex’s name from her earlier research about the Danvers family. They were pretty famous around these parts.
Kara nodded, her tone slightly flustered. “Yeah, well, more like my sister. She runs the whole delivery operation, and if I'm late, she gets freaked out. She’s pretty driven when it comes to the family business.”
“Sounds serious,” Lena said playfully, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. “But it’s not like you can just make someone wait for pizza! There should be a law against that… and you’re adorable!”
Kara blushed again, tugging at her ponytail. “Thank you? But I really need to take this. I’ll make the next delivery and help you at your party, I promise!”
“Of course! Just call us when you’re free,” Leni chimed in, looking up at Kara with wide, hopeful eyes.
Kara’s expression softened. “I will! Just a sec!” She pulled out her phone, glancing at the text before answering with a flustered grin. “Hey, Alex! Uuh… I’m at the Luthors’! Yeah, delivering pizza! I’ll be back in a minute.”
From the other end, a voice echoed through her speaker, sounding stern yet slightly amused. “Kara, where are you? We’ve got more deliveries waiting! You said you’d be quick!”
Kara glanced back at Lena, mouthing, “Told you!”
“Sorry, Alex! I lost track of time! They’re really nice! Like, super nice,” Kara replied, her voice raising in nervous excitement. “And Leni even invited me to a pizza party with unicorn cakes! How could I resist?”
“First, focus on making your deliveries, Danvers. You can party later! Do you really want me to come down there?”
“No! No, Alex, please don’t! I’ll be right there! Just let me finish!”
Lena smiled, but she could see Kara’s face start to turn a delightful shade of crimson. She was clearly overwhelmed.
“Hey, we can wrap this up,” Lena said gently, putting a soothing hand on Kara’s arm. “We get it! Responsibilities come first.”
“What if I, um, bring the next pizza delivery here? You know, like, teleport it? That’s a superpower, right?” Kara joked, trying to lighten the mood. “Or is it more of a ‘wish upon a star’ kind of deal?”
Leni giggled, placing her hands on her hips dramatically. “I wish for a pizza fairy to bring pizza anytime I want it!”
With laughter hanging in the air, Lena could see Kara’s shoulders relax a little, grateful for the enjoyable distraction. But soon, Kara’s face shifted back to concern as the call continued.
“Kara! Seriously, find your way back to the shop!” Alex's voice edged toward annoyance. “I’m not letting you eat pizza without delivering it all first!”
Kara winced. “Okay, okay, I’m coming! I’ll just I’ll just hurry!” She turned back to Lena, her eyes wide. “I really have to go, but I promise, I won’t forget about you two! I can’t wait for unicorn cake and pizza parties!”
“We’ll make sure you get a slice or two,” Lena promised sincerely. “Just remember, we’re serious about the invitation!”
Kara nodded quickly, visibly torn between wanting to stay and the pressing call of duty. She flashed one last bright smile, her awkward charm still managing to shine through. “This was... really fun! I uh, I hope you two have an amazing pizza celebration! Bye, Leni! Bye, Lena!”
With that Kara walked away muttering to herself and pulling her pant leg, Lena watching her walk away. Lena looked at her daughter who had immediately began shoving pizza in her mouth. Lena finally felt peace.