Chapter Text
Kara uses her superspeed to appear in front of Lena. The other woman stops in her tracks. Kara places a hand on Lena’s shoulder.
“Lena, please, can we talk? I’ve been waiting all day to talk to you. Just, give me 10 minutes of your time, and I promise, if you don’t like what I have to say, then I won’t bother you anymore.”
Lena considers the offer for a second and sighs.
“Fine. Let’s go to my place.”
“Okay, perfect. May I?”
Kara is tentatively holding out her arms to gesture to Lena that she wants to fly them there. The other woman looks around, unsure, before accepting the offer.
“Sure.”
Kara scoops Lena up gently, a little smile on her face, her eyes pleading Lena not to be mad at her.
“Uh, if you could just, put your arm around my neck, it would just be safer.”
Lena raises her eyebrow and considers arguing before caving in and doing what Kara asked. That oh so familiar gesture positions their faces closer to each other. Kara is staring at Lena with her mouth slightly open. Under any other circumstances, Lena would have felt content and would be reveling in the attention. But not right now.
“Kara? Can we go now?”
“Uhh, yeah, sorry, yeah, let’s go. Hang tight.”
Supergirl flies Lena to her apartment. They softly land on the balcony, and Lena immediately lets go of Kara as soon as she puts her down. She then opens the balcony door and makes a beeline for her whiskey bottle. She pours herself a drink, and stands near the counter, staring at nothing in particular.
“Well? You said you wanted to talk?”
Kara shakes her head, and heads inside, closing the door behind her. She disassembles her nanosuit, revealing her work outfit, a button up and slacks. She does not want to have this conversation dressed as Supergirl. Even though she’s talked about it extensively with Lena, and they make jokes about her being Supergirl, she wants to have this talk as Kara Zor-El. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts. As a writer, Kara prides herself on being eloquent on paper. However, most of the time, she seems to lose track of her thoughts around Lena. It takes a great effort for her to calm down her spiraling thoughts and formulate a clear sentence.
“Okay, so there are two things I want to address. First, I want to discuss what you told me this morning. Second, I want to explain where I was before I came back through the portal. Is that okay with you?”
Lena takes a sip of her whiskey, audibly gulps, and slowly nods, avoiding Kara’s gaze at all costs. Kara, who was standing on the other side of the room, comes a little bit closer to Lena.
“Okay. So, the only reason I was helping Brainy with his portal stuff is because I was so rattled after what you told me this morning. You’ve probably noticed, I’m not always the best at expressing my feelings. I feel like I have to constantly protect everyone, and often can't express my feelings, out of fear that I would become a burden.”
Lena softens a little bit. Unfortunately, she understands this sentiment all too well. For a second, it seems like she’s going to add something, but refrains.
“Now, I know it’s not ideal, and it is something that I’m working on. I’m not using this as an excuse, I just want to explain to you why I just sat there like an idiot, instead of telling you how I really feel.”
Lena takes another sip of her drink, and steps closer to Kara.
“And how is it that you really feel, Kara?”
Kara is fumbling with her hands. She tries to adjust her glasses, but not before remembering that she did not in fact have her glasses on. It’s a nervous tick that Lena finds absolutely adorable. She tries hard to hold back a little smile and ends up slightly scrunching her nose as her eyes softened. Kara looks up from the ground, and her eyes meet Lena’s.
“Brainy’s portal was only supposed to teleport me through space. He was playing around with exact locations and seeing how far or nearby he could send me. However, the last portal he opened sent me on a roof, in National City, sometime in the future.”
Lena’s brows momentarily go up before her face scrunches up in confusion.
“Wait, are you saying…”
“Yes, Brainy seems to have inadvertently created a portable time travel device. I don’t know if he could recreate the conditions that sent me into the future. Although, I am a bit weary of time-travel. My good friend Barry used to be a regular and now his life is all kinds of messed up.”
“Fascinating…”
Lena’s mind is all over the place, she’s taking in all the possibilities and implications of what Kara just told her.
“Anyway, right after I landed, I hear your watch signal go off. So obviously, I head to L-Corp, completely unaware of what just happened. And I see you, and Lena, I think we were married.”
Lena almost drops her glass at that point. Her mouth keeps opening and closing, but she is too stunned to speak.
“At first, I thought you were just married to someone else, and Lena, I hated how that made me feel. I had already been wanting to talk to you about how I feel. Alex always tells me I’m too oblivious to my own feelings, and while that might have been true, I did eventually realize I was in love with you before the gala, but I was too scared to say anything. I have dealt with heartbreak, death, destruction, and so much loss. But Lena, I’m not sure I could ever deal with losing you forever…”
Kara gets closer to Lena, who doesn’t even attempt to move.
“After this morning, I felt terrible thinking you were out there unaware of my feelings. Even though I can’t risk losing you again, I understand now that I would rather try making this work, and failing, than never knowing what could’ve been.”
Kara steps right in front of Lena, gently grabs her glass of whiskey with no resistance, and puts it down on the counter. She grabs Lena’s hands, urging the other woman to look at her.
“Lena, please, say something.”
Lena is trying to muster any strength she has left after the day she’s had. She has so much to say but all she manages to get out in that moment is one sentence that comes out as a shocked whisper.
"You're in love with me?"
After that, Lena tries so hard but can only crumble. She wraps her arms around Kara’s waist and starts softly crying right into the other woman’s arms. The Kryptonian is holding Lena like she’s the most precious thing on earth. All those years, it used to be so damn hard not to break things, to control her strength, to act human. She doesn’t even have to try with Lena. With her hands wrapped around Lena’s shoulders, Kara pressed small kisses to the other woman’s temple.
“Shh, it’s okay, let it out. I’m here, and this time, I am not going anywhere.”
After a couple of minutes, Kara slowly floats them to the couch. They both sit there, Lena’s head resting on Kara’s shoulder, and Kara’s hand softly stroking her hair, whispering that everything was going to be okay.
Once Lena is ready to talk, she clears her throat and turns to face Kara.
“Kara, I was so scared to lose you today. Alex kept saying it was going to be okay but last time you went through a portal you were gone for weeks and then you almost died two weeks ago- “, Lena takes a deep breath before she continues.
“I can’t deal with the thought of being away from you for that long again or risk losing you. I meant every word I said this morning. Darling, you are so, so precious to me and it is terrifying. The few good things that I have had in my life, have all been violently ripped away from me, and the thought of that happening with you is too much to bear.”
Lena rests her hand on Kara’s cheek and Kara leans in, a tear escaping her eyes.
“Kara, I am absolutely terrified to do this, but I also know it’s the best thing that I will ever do, and I am all in if you are.”
Kara grabs Lena’s open hand that was resting on her cheek and presses a kiss to her palm. She gathers Lena’s hand in both of hers and presses another kiss to her knuckles. She’s still holding the younger Luthor’s hand.
“Do you remember what I said at Alex and Kelly’s wedding? About not having anyone I can truly be myself with?”
Lena slowly nods. She distinctly remembers that statement because it stung her deeply. How could Kara not see that she already had that with her?
“Well, that was an incredibly stupid thing to say. It’s you, Lena, it’s always been you. You’ve helped me through Supergirl and Kara emergencies, you understand both sides of me and when I’m around you, I don’t feel like I have to be one or the other anymore. I can be Kara Zor-El. Yes, I have super strength and could fry a man with my eyes, but I’m also a huge nerd and I love watching musicals and having game nights. I know that I will be fighting threats against this planet for the rest of my life, but I also want to just, live. And I want to do all of that, with you. The endless “good fight” only seems bearable with you by my side.”
Kara pauses to take a deep breath.
“You, better than anyone else, understand my trauma and you don’t ask me to be strong, perfect, Supergirl, all the time. You make me feel like I am allowed to be vulnerable. You make me feel safe.”
Lena grabs Kara’s face with both of her hands and kisses her deeply. She kisses her like it’s their last moment on earth. She kisses her like she doesn’t need oxygen, just Kara’s lips on hers. Oftentimes, after longing for something for months, even years, finally getting it feels bittersweet, maybe even disappointing. But kissing Kara somehow exceeded all of Lena’s expectations. For a moment, she wasn’t cynical, the world wasn’t horrible, and her past did not matter. She was home.
Lena shifts them so that she is straddling Kara on the couch. Kara’s hands initially resting on Lena’s lower back, slowly shift to cup Lena’s ass, which elicits a whimper from the other woman. Lena’s hands are tangled in Kara’s hair as she shifts her mouth between Kara’s lips and her jaw. Lena starts grinding on Kara’s thigh when the Kryptonian starts kissing her neck.
“Wait, Kara…”
Kara immediately stops everything she's doing and looks at Lena.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing… It’s actually quite the opposite. This is going very right, and believe me, I want to go further, but I also want to take things slow.”
Kara slowly nods and proceeds to tuck Lena’s hair behind her ears, grabbing both sides of her face.
“Rao, you are so beautiful, I could just look at you forever.”
Lena blushes and lets a smile escape.
“Okay, well, for that, you get another kiss.”
She proceeds to plant a quick peck on Kara’s lips which slowly turns into full on making out until Kara stops them.
“Okay, okay. You said to take things slow, so let’s stop here. Do you want me to leave?”
Lena doesn’t even feign to ponder the question. Her mind is already fully made up.
“Please, stay.”
They both do their nightly routines separately. Kara is wearing one of Lena’s MIT t-shirts and boxers while Lena is wearing Kara’s National City University hoody and sweatpants. Kara looks up from her outfit to Lena’s.
“Damn, how are we already the picture-perfect domestic couple.”
“Well… Honestly, if you think about it, we’ve been exhibiting some couple-like behavior.”
Kara tries to argue before remembering their recent interactions.
“Yeaaaah, I guess we have been. I can’t believe it took us this long to get our shit together.”
Kara reaches out to Lena and holds her in her arms before pressing a kiss on her forehead.
“I’m pretty sure your sister and Nia have been betting on when we’re going to get together.”
Kara suddenly freezes, eyes widening in realization.
“Oh. My. God! It all makes sense now. That’s what they keep handing each other. That’s why they’ve been acting so smug! Oh I’m gonna kill Alex.”
Lena laughs and circles Kara’s waist with her arms, resting her head on the kryptonian’s shoulder. She makes sure to commit this moment to memory. She wants to remember how safe, and happy, and fulfilled she feels right now, in Kara’s arms.
“Kara?”
“Yes Lena?”
Lena looks up at Kara with the most innocent look she can muster.
“Take me to bed?”
Kara’s breath gets caught up in her throat. There are about 50 different scenarios that play in her mind, but she agrees that they should take it slow. She still grabs Lena by her thighs and hoists her up against her chest so that they’re face to face. Kara smirks at Lena.
“Hey.”
Lena is biting her lower lip before grabbing Kara’s chin and kissing her until they have to come apart for air.
“Okay, now I actually need to go to sleep, I have to be at work early tomorrow.”
Kara pouts before walking them towards the bedroom. She deposits Lena on the floor as they prepare the bed. Lena asks Kara as she’s moving pillows out of the way, “so, which side do you prefer, I personally am not partial to any.” And Kara replies without missing a beat.
“Bold of you to assume that I won’t be curled up on whichever side you are.”
Lena’s cheeks heat up at that statement.
“Kara Danvers, you are such a dork.”
Kara rounds the bed and grabs Lena by the waist.
“Always for you, Lena.”
They end up settling in the middle of the bed. Kara’s head tucked under Lena's chin with her arm sprawled on Lena’s waist. Kara presses a kiss to Lena's neck as they silently drift off to sleep. Even though she is the woman of steel, Kara has never felt safer than she currently does, curled up in Lena’s arms.
Lena wakes up the morning after, still feeling the residual serenity that accompanied last night’s events. She shifts around and feels lighter than she should with a Kryptonian on top of her. She looks around the bed, and Kara is nowhere to be found. Lena is trying really hard not to jump to conclusion, but her brain has been conditioned to expect disappointment. She is trying to hold back tears until she finds a little note on the nightstand.
Supergirl emergency, will try to be back before you leave for work, love ~ Kara
Lena exhales a breath she hadn’t realized she's been holding in. She goes to get ready for the day, hoping to see Kara before she has to leave. She’s gathering her things and is about to exit her apartment when she hears a knock on the balcony door. She opens it and is greeted by Kara in her supersuit, with coffee and donuts.
“Hey there,” says Kara before pressing a light kiss to Lena’s cheek. “I’m sorry I had to leave, there was a bank robbery, then a fire, and then a cat got stuck up a tree, you know, the usual.”
Lena smiles and grabs the coffee and donuts from Kara, heading to the counter.
“Wow, Lena, is that a new dress? It looks amazing. You look amazing!”
Lena turns around and gives Kara a cheeky smile.
“Oh, and you waited for me to turn around to comment on the dress? What exactly do you think looks amazing Miss Danvers?”
Kara’s mouth slightly opens as she struggles to come up with an answer. Lena comes up to her, places a hand on her chest, and presses a kiss on Kara’s lips.
“I love it when you get flustered Supergirl. You must be careful, we wouldn’t want people to think the big bad Lena Luthor has put a spell on you.”
Kara has half the presence of mind to grab Lena’s waist as she’s walking away and kisses her deeply. Their foreheads are resting against each other.
“You don’t need a spell to get me hooked on you Miss Luthor.”
Kara leans in and whispers in Lena’s ear.
“Also, as much as I love that dress on you, I was thinking it would look so much better on your bedroom floor.”
Lena's eyes widen. This openly flirtatious side of Kara was going to be the death of her.
“Kara! You tease! I have to get to work, but we are resuming this conversation later.”
“Oh, I fully intend on it, Miss Luthor.”
Kara winks at her and flies out, leaving a flustered Lena to get back to her regular schedule.