Work Text:
The steel in her hand feels warm and comfortable. She has prepared for this moment, not ever really knowing if it would come. And yet, here it is. Surprisingly her mind is clear, sharp and in focus. She takes a breath, everything moving in slow motion now, and pulls the trigger. She has practiced this over and over. The only difference is that her target has a beating heart this time. The two shots leave the barrel in quick succession and she finds it curious that she feels nothing. Not even fear.
The rebel collapses to his knees and then slumps to the ground with a hard thud. The FBI agent he had been about to execute spins, looking for her hero. When her eyes meet Lena’s they are filled with surprise and, to Lena’s pride, awe.
Before the agent can mutter a word of gratitude, a torrent of bullets whiz by them. A group of the once scattered rebels has collected themselves into a cohesive unit and are making their way across L-Corp’s front square. The agent quickly grabs Lena and pulls her down behind the concrete median just as mulch sprays from the flower bed there with the impact of the rounds.
“Give me that,” the agent demands, holding her hand out for the gun.
Lena is happy to give it over to someone of more skill. The agent rises up from their hiding spot cautiously and fires off three shots, each finding a different rebel that stops their pursuit. It is then, though, that they realize they are surrounded. The humanoid robot, the one released by the rebels that started this war zone in the middle of Lena’s press conference, advances towards them at an alarming pace.
The agent fires a bullet at it but the round ricochets off its exterior like a raindrop off a windshield.
“Fuck! Get behind me!” The agent doesn’t give Lena the chance to even comply with the demand. She grabs at her coat again and pulls her harshly towards her, wedging her between her vested body and the concrete of the median.
Lena hears a mechanical unlocking, the hiss of machinery coming to life, as the robot continues toward them. Peering over the agent’s shoulder she can see that it has engaged its weapon system. A row of small missiles has risen up from a compartment on its shoulder and they are aimed maliciously at them.
The agent spreads her arms, reaching back to try and shield Lena as much as possible. Lena knows it's in vain, though. Just one of those missiles will leave a crater the size of a car where they are hunkered down.
Lena hears more than she sees the missile launch from the robot. She digs her fingers into the agent’s bullet proof vest cursing herself for not being able to save her once again.
It is a flash of red and blue that saves them both. Supergirl snatches the missile out of the air, spins, and tosses it up into the sky. When it explodes it's only destruction is the shattering of a few windows in L-Corp’s building.
A smile spreads across Lena’s face, knowing they are safe now, as Supergirl immediately turns her attention to the robot. The force of her first punch knocks it off of its feet and the next sends it flying in the air. It hits the pavement two hundred yards away and does not move again.
The agent also visibly relaxes at the sight of Supergirl until a bullet from the still advancing rebels bounces off the shoulder of the hero. The agent’s arms go back, once more shielding Lena.
“I’ve got her! Go get them!” the agent shouts, with a jerk of her head back behind them. She pushes back into Lena, like she is trying to show that she indeed is ready to protect her.
Supergirl’s eyes meet Lena’s and Lena feels her heart race. Oh God, how she has missed those eyes. The hero shoots in the air, the sound of her launch echoing off the buildings around the square. Lena wiggles free of the agent’s grip and turns just in time to see Supergirl dive bomb the rebel group, leaving a sizable crater underneath her feet. Many rebels are thrown back, scattering in every direction from the hero’s impact on the ground.
Lena is in awe of the way Supergirl fights. It is like a coordinated dance that her opponents just can’t seem to figure out the steps to. She uses her fists and her cape, blocking some while attacking others. The crackle of ice rings through the air as she freezes two rebels at their feet, effectively halting their attack. Another rebel, this one stupid enough to keep firing bullets that merely bounce off the red and blue suit, gets the heat vision treatment. He yelps in pain as the gun in his hand is heated to the point of exploding.
In no time at all Supergirl has immobilized the entire unit of rebels and the square falls silent save for the crackling of the small fires here and there. The square is completely destroyed and so too are many of the buildings in the vicinity.
Lena and the agent stand from their hiding spot, Lena’s eyes never leaving the hero. But when a look of shock and raw fear fills Supergirl’s face she can’t help but turn to see what has distracted Supergirl’s attention.
The robot has returned and stepped up to their hiding spot. The agent reflexively fires another useless bullet and then makes to kick the machine. The robot is too fast, however, and backhands the agent, sending her flying several feet away. Lena tries to make a run for it but the robot is already in motion after her. She feels its hand wrap around her throat. The pressure is just enough to cut off her air. As she is lifted from the ground, she tries desperately to force it to release her, kicking and clawing at the robot’s exterior to no avail.
Supergirl suddenly appears behind the robot. She wraps her arms around its neck in a futile attempt to distract it. Every move she makes causes the robot to continue tightening its fingers around Lena’s neck.
“Lena...” There is doubt in Supergirl’s eyes and stark terror.
In a morbid way, as the blackness creeps into Lena’s own vision and she feels herself slipping, she is happy that it is those blue eyes that are the last thing she is seeing.
And then, there is pain all over her body. Her back slams down onto the concrete median. As air is reintroduced to her lungs, she gasps and her eyes fly open. The robot is above her still but does not move toward her again. She rolls to the side, out of the robot’s space.
The sight before her is terrifying. Supergirl’s heat vision is pointed at the base of the robot’s skull. Its thick exterior is resistant at first but is failing quickly. Supergirl’s face is contorted in great effort and a piercing scream breaks from her mouth as her shaking body pushes forward, trying to increase the heat that is spilling from her eyes. The robot twitches once, twice, and then explodes. The pieces rain down across the square as Supergirl slumps to her knees, the orange of her heat vision slow to leave her eyes.
Lena rushes to her side. “Supergirl?!”
Supergirl reaches up and traces the red imprints of the robot’s fingers on Lena’s pale skin. “You’re hurt.”
“I promise, I’m okay.” Lena’s voice is scratchy but she clears her throat and gives a reassuring smile as she pulls Supergirl’s hand from her neck.
The FBI agent makes her way to them. Lena notes the white bandage that she has wrapped around her forearm and the deep cut across her cheek. “Are you guys all right?”
“We’re fine.” Supergirl reports. She is still on her knees and her chest is heaving with the effort to keep herself up. “Are you okay?”
The agent nods in response. “Intel says that another wave of rebels has landed a block away and is making their way over. We’re evacuating the southern half of downtown National City. You both should go.”
“I can’t leave you,” Supergirl insists.
“You’re gonna have to. My backup is almost here.”
The agent pulls two clips for the pistol off one of the dead rebels’ body and tucks them into her vest. And that is when they hear the rumbling of large vehicles. Gunshots echo off the buildings and screams erupt from somewhere beyond the square.
“Do you have enough strength to get her out of here?” the agent asks Supergirl. She does a slow three hundred and sixty degree turn, the pistol at the ready.
Supergirl gathers her resolve and stands tenderly, giving a curt nod to the agent. “Alex, be safe.”
“Always.” The agent smiles and claps her hand on Supergirl’s shoulder. She turns to Lena next. “Please take care of her.”
“I will,” Lena promises.
Lena feels Supergirl’s hand at the small of her back. She looks up into the hero’s face as she turns, and then wraps her arms around her neck. This isn't the first time they've been in this position. Supergirl bends slightly, lifting Lena as she tucks one arm underneath her legs, letting the other cradle her back. Unlike the previous times, though, there is some shakiness in the movement.
“Are you sure about this?” Lena whispers softly. She doesn’t mean it as a sign of doubt but of worry for Supergirl’s well-being.
“I need to at least get you away from the square. I can do that much, I promise.”
Lena nods her acceptance and tucks her head beneath Supergirl’s chin as she feels them leave the ground. The square quickly disappears and Lena waits for them to land on one of the buildings that are slowly shrinking beneath them but Supergirl seems determined to get her even further away. Lena stares at the hero’s face. Her lips are tight and her face is straining. Her grip around her is too tight almost like she doesn’t trust herself holding Lena.
“My apartment is not too much further,” Lena shouts over the air that is rushing past them. “It’s over...”
Supergirl adjusts their course not needing Lena’s instructions for the location of the apartment.
Lena gasps when they hit the concrete of the apartment balcony at too high of a speed. Supergirl falls instantly to her knees, grunting at their impact. Lena nearly slips from her arms but Supergirl is quick to pull her tight, steadying them both, before gently laying her on the balcony floor. Lena notes that it takes a great deal of effort for Supergirl to do so and is appreciative for the gentleness but still worried from this deviation from their normal landings. She quickly crawls to her knees and takes Supergirl by her shoulders. Her eyes sweep over her, noting the paleness of her skin and the fatigue in her blue eyes.
“Supergirl! Are you all right?”
A small smile tugs at Supergirl’s lips before a harsh grimace takes its place. She falls forward and lets her head rest in the soft curve between Lena’s neck and shoulder. “I think I’m supposed to be the one asking you that. You were just attacked.”
“Yes, but you are the one who had to fight them off.” Lena goes to wrap her arms around her but at the last second thinks better of it. They have a complicated past and the rules of affection are not something she is sure of because of everything that has happened between them. Her instincts and her heart, though, scream to take the hero into her arms.
Supergirl seems to either know these rules and thinks this is an appropriate situation for it or else has decided to throw the rule book out as she turns her face and presses it into Lena’s neck. She takes a deep breath and lets more of her body’s weight rest against Lena who now has to slide her arms underneath the cape and pull the hero close to keep them upright.
“You seemed to handle that pistol pretty well on your own,” Supergirl murmurs against Lena’s skin.
It doesn’t feel like an accusation but Lena wonders if that is what is meant by the statement. Her knees start to ache against the cool concrete. For a moment, she is afraid that the new steadiness of Supergirl’s breathing is a result of the hero falling asleep on her. But Supergirl must have sensed how uncomfortable Lena was because she pulls back and rests on her own legs.
“Let’s get you inside,” Lena says. She wobbles as she moves to her feet, her human body finally registering everything she has just been through.
Supergirl takes a deep breath before she moves to rise as well. She happily takes Lena’s outstretched hands for assistance. Once on her feet, she drapes an arm around Lena’s shoulders and lets Lena take some of her weight. Lena maneuvers them to the balcony door much like she's helping someone with a sprained ankle. She praises their luck that the balcony door is unlocked as she slides it open and leads the hero inside.
“I owe you a thank you,” Supergirl whispers as they amble into the living room. She releases Lena and tries to take a step on her own but falters.
Lena holds her arms out just waiting to grab Supergirl if she topples, much like a parent to a wobbly toddler. “For?”
“Is it okay if I sit?” Supergirl asks but she is already slumping down onto the couch as the words breach the air. She lays her head against the back of the couch as she sinks down into the plush cushions. Her eyes close and she issues an open mouth exhale that seems to relax her somewhat. “A thank you for saving Alex,” she continues.
“The FBI agent?”
Supergirl hums in response. “I really appreciate what you did. Losing her would have been...” She pushes another breath out as if the thought is too much.
“Well, she saved me as well so I guess we’re even.”
Supergirl’s lips turn up in a smile even though her eyes remain closed. “She won't see it as even, trust me.”
Lena doesn't know what is meant by that but her worry for the hero who is clearly not herself outweighs her curiosity. “Can I get you anything?”
“Maybe a glass of water?”
Lena returns a moment later with the glass. Her concern only deepens as Supergirl’s hand shakes when she takes it from her.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Is there someone I should call?”
“Alex knows where to find me. They are going to be a while, though. I have to lay low for a bit until they can come get me.”
“Because your powers are gone?”
Supergirl finally opens her eyes and bites her lip as she evaluates Lena’s worried face. “That’s hard to admit to you but yes because my powers are depleted. I don't think I solar flared though...”
She purses her lips and blows at the glass which frosts up.
“Solar flared?” Lena sits on the cushion next to Supergirl. “Because you get your power from the sun? That's clever.”
Supergirl smiles again. “Don't ever tell my cousin that. He's too proud of himself for coming up with that name as it is.”
“Why is it hard to admit it to me then if this is not an unusual experience for you and your cousin?”
Supergirl’s face is instantly serious. “I don't like you seeing me weak.”
“Because I am a Luthor and you are a Super?”
“You may have the Luthor name but you are nothing like your brother. I told you that back in Metropolis.”
Lena looks down at her hands and fidgets with them nervously. This is the first time they’ve been truly alone since their last night together in Metropolis nearly two years ago. Supergirl has saved her four times in the last six months, since Lena’s move to National City, but this is the first time they’ve ever been together in the aftermath. “Do you look back on those weeks as fondly as I do?”
“I do, despite the fact that I was there for a very serious reason. And that I was really nervous too.”
“Why were you nervous?”
Supergirl thinks for a moment on her answer. “It was my first important mission as Supergirl and the first time working with my cousin. I didn’t want to mess it up. And then when I met you and we...” We fell in love , Lena wants to interject, “...yeah it became especially important.”
“I’d hardly call babysitting me an important mission.”
“I do. It is one of if not the most important things I’ve ever done as Supergirl. You gave up your brother. You provided the key testimony that allowed us to put him away forever. Do you not know how many lives you have saved by doing that?”
Lena’s face colors at that statement.“But here you are again saving my life.”
“I think we’ve already established that you are the real hero of today. And the babysitter now too.”
Lena chuckles nervously at the role reversal. “Yes, but your life is far more important than mine.”
“The last time we were together and you were being hard on yourself it took me kissing you to make you stop. Seeing as I am indisposed at the moment you’re just going to have to take my words at their value: you are good, you are important, and you deserve happiness, Lena.”
This time the flush that takes to Lena’s skin burns with the brightness of a thousand suns. “Do you ever think about that kiss?” she asks softly as she lays her own head back against the couch, mimicking Supergirl’s position.
“Constantly.”
“Me too.” Every night, every day, every hour for the last two years, Lena wants to say.
Silence falls over them, each lost in their thoughts of their time together two years ago.
“Can I ask you something?” Lena whispers uncertainly. She doesn’t know if she should breach the topic that is on her mind but her curiosity is getting the better of her. Now that they are alone, finally, she just can’t help herself.
“Of course.” Supergirl turns her head and watches her intently.
“That night you left to come back to National City and I asked you what was next for...for us...” she falters, her words sticking in her throat, “you said that you hoped someday a part of you would deserve all of me. What did you mean by that?”
‘Lena, you just don’t understand!’ Supergirl throws the last of her belongings into the duffle bag and zips it with too much force. She looks around the apartment that has been their hideout for the last five weeks throughout the duration of Lex’s trial.
‘Then make me understand!’ Lena is standing in the middle of the living room, arms wrapped around herself like she’s afraid she may fall apart. The tears that are streaming down her face make her cheeks seem so much more pale than usual. ‘You can’t keep denying that you have feelings for me too!’
Supergirls spins, her voice is gruff like her throat has been scrubbed with salt. Her own tears are coming now. ‘I do! I love you! Is that what you want to hear? That I want to spend every moment of every day with you? That you make me feel more alive than anything? That these last few weeks have been some of the scariest but best weeks of my life? What do you want from me?!’
‘I want to be with you! Why can’t we be together?’
‘Because I’m not...I’m not free, Lena. I can’t–’ She takes Lena’s face into her hands and presses their heads together. ‘I can’t be with you as me, as this.’ She gestures to the symbol proudly displayed across her chest. ‘It’s not safe.’
Lena presses her lips forward, leaving soft kisses over every inch of the hero’s face that she can reach. ‘I don’t care about any of that.’
‘But I do.’
Lena feels her stomach drop, her heart clenches with the most searing pain.
‘I care, Lena. If not being with you is what keeps you safe then that is the price I am willing to pay.’
‘But I love you.’ It sounds so weak and pathetic in Lena’s ears but she knows it's the truth. It’s the first time she’s ever said those words to anyone and truly meant them.
‘Lena, I– ’ An insistent pounding at the front door stops Supergirl’s words. ‘I have to go now.’ She releases Lena and grabs the duffle bag. With one more sweep of the apartment she turns and makes her way to the door.
‘Supergirl...please.’
Supergirl can’t help but stop her feet. With one hand on the doorknob, she freezes. She knows if she turns around, if she takes one more look into those green eyes that she’s come to love, that there will be no stopping herself. ‘I hope that one day I can create a part of me that will deserve all of you. But I’m not that person right now and I don’t expect you to wait for me to become them.’ She doesn’t wait for a response as she slams the door behind her.
With thirty floors between them and the sounds of the bustling street as she climbs into the back of the DEO vehicle, she can still hear Lena’s sobs over it all. As a tear finally breaks free and falls down her own cheek, she wonders if she’ll ever feel whole again.
Supergirl is silent in the face of that question.
“We don’t have to talk about this,” Lena says as she pushes herself off the couch.
“We need to, though. If you’re going to be here in National City permanently then we should.” Supergirl clears her throat and starts. “I’ve spent nearly all of my life here on Earth as a part of a governmental organization – the men in black if you will...”
A small twitch of a smile pulls at Lena’s lips at the continuation of their nickname that they had developed during their time in Metropolis. She feels like they are on the edge of something more, like she is finally going to get the answers to the questions that have plagued her the last two years, and her heart skips at every word.
“...because I struggled to adapt to human life. My adoptive parents, who both work for the organization, thought it best to raise me as a member of their employer because I wasn’t convincing as a human. That is how and why I became Supergirl. Unlike my cousin, who was raised in human traditions and has a dual life as a hero and human, I perfected the hero path and stopped trying to integrate myself into the outside human world. Until I met you.”
Lena’s head snaps up at those words. “Me?”
“You gave me a different sense of purpose. You had so much confidence in me back in Metropolis. You told me I could do anything. No one has ever believed in me like that.”
“Well, it’s true. You are brilliant and compassionate. You would make the perfect human if you just tried again,” Lena insists as she remembers their talks late into the nights spent in that hideaway apartment during the trial. She remembers the passion in Supergirl’s voice about how she loved helping people and how she wanted to protect this planet so much because she couldn’t save her own.
“Leaving you that night nearly killed me.” Supergirl’s voice cracks with raw emotion, as if she is reliving that past too. “But Supergirl can never be with Lena Luthor. And it’s not because of the Super/Luthor thing,” she quickly adds before Lena can argue with her on that point. “Supergirl can’t be with anyone. If any of my enemies or my cousin’s enemies found out about you and our relationship then they could use you against me and I can’t live with that weighing on my conscience.”
Lena returns to the couch and curls herself up against the hero. It’s been two long years of heartbreak and loneliness. And she suddenly realizes that it was felt by both of them. Supergirl didn’t leave her because she was a Luthor or because their love wouldn’t be enough. No, she left her because she loved her too much.
Supergirl lays her head gently against the side of Lena’s and intertwines their fingers. “I’ve been trying to establish a human identity for myself, one that would be worthy of Lena Luthor’s love. That way Supergirl can protect you but she can love you and build a life with you.”
“Why do you keep saying that? Deserve? Be worthy? Why do you act like I am something special?
“Because you are special to me! And because you are a powerful woman. Whether you like it or not you are constantly under scrutiny at every turn–”
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed,” Lena interjects sarcastically.
“Whoever you date will be too,” Supergirl says, ignoring Lena’s jab. “You know, it’s not that easy establishing a human identity anymore. The paperwork is easy, sure, but I have to make sure that that identity has a real life so no one gets suspicious. We’d have to take this slow if this was something we wanted to pursue.”
“It is. I still want this. I still want you.” Lena turns her head and runs her nose along Supergirl’s jaw before placing a kiss on her temple.
“Even after I left you? After everything that’s happened? I told you not to wait for me..."
“Yes. And I’d wait for you forever if I had to. I wish you had called me at some point and told me all of this sooner but I’m not angry. I still love you.”
Supergirl’s phone interrupts Lena’s confession. Lena watches the blonde’s face during the whole thing. The conversation doesn’t last long but is enough to pull them both out of the moment they were having.
“I hope you don’t mind if I crash here for the night,” Supergirl says as she hangs up. “It looks like things are a lot more serious than originally thought.”
“Of course not. Stay as long as you like.” Lena reaches for the remote and turns on the television. The news is showing the devastation around L-Corp’s building. “Are we safe here?”
“We don’t think they were explicitly after you. It was a public event in a large city. It was somewhere where they could gain the most attention. I fear it’s going to be happening a lot more now with the Supreme Court’s ruling on alien rights.” Supergirl sighs, the exhaustion of today and of the things that have yet to come seem to be weighing her spirits down. “And the ruling is even more reason for you not to be seen with Supergirl too often.”
“You should get some rest. I shouldn’t have brought any of this up with you tonight. I’m sorry.” Lena stands again from the couch and starts to clean up the already pristine living room. “Go sleep in my bed. It’ll be more comfortable for you.”
Supergirl unzips her boots and places them next to the coffee table. Her cape is a more difficult task for her in her exhaustion but she at last gets it off and drapes it over the couch. She picks up her phone and walks, more steadily now, to Lena’s bedroom. But at the door she turns. “Lena?”
Lena stops on her way to the kitchen to put Supergirl’s glass of water away and turns at the sound of her name.
“Will you stay with me?” Her hand is outstretched and Lena is unable to resist the request.
They each take a side of the bed, pulling down the covers. Supergirl is quick to rid the bed of the decorative pillows and climbs in with a satisfying hum. Lena briefly leaves to shower and complete her pre-bedtime rituals. When she returns to the bedroom, she half expects to find the hero sleeping but instead meets two waiting eyes.
The moment she lays down on the bed, Supergirl’s arms are instantly around her, pulling her close. Lena moans as their bodies make contact, not realizing how much she has needed Supergirl’s touch.
“I still love you too. Is that okay?” Supergirl whispers.
“Yes, yes, God, yes.” She throws her leg over Supergirl, trying to bring her in even closer. She bends her head into Supergirl’s hand that has snuck up into her dark wet hair, freeing it from the loose bun she had it in. It reminds her of their first embrace in Metropolis.
Supergirl ghosts her lips over Lena’s but does not kiss her. Instead she nudges Lena’s chin with her lips and begins to place soft kisses on the bruises that are starting to form on her neck.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you in time,” she whispers, punctuating each word with a kiss.
“You saved me, that is all that matters.”
“I’m sorry for the last two years.”
“It’s okay now,” Lena promises.
Supergirl kisses her neck again, and pulls her in tighter, and somehow closer. She whispers Lena’s name over and over, in between kisses, as her hand caress Lena’s back and neck.
And Lena finally feels at home.
************************************************************************************
Supergirl is squirming but it is slowly turning into thrashing. Lena looks at the clock, noting they have slept longer than she expected. But she rolls over, alarmed when she hears her name fall from Supergirl’s lips.
“Shhhh. It’s okay.” Her fingers slide into Supergirl’s blonde locks at her temple and lightly scratch at her scalp. Supergirl’s body instantly stills and then relaxes. “I’m right here.”
“Lena?” Her voice is low and rough with confusion. Her eyes slowly blink open at the sound of Lena’s voice.
“I’m here,” Lena promises. “See I’m right here.” She picks up Supergirl’s hand and starts to place gently kisses to the back of it as her other hand continues to glide through the hero’s blonde locks.
Supergirl smiles in relief at the sight of Lena. “I still have dreams that I failed to protect you during the trial.”
“But you did. I’m here and I’m safe.”
Supergirl scoffs and sits up. “I think you are forgetting yesterday.”
Lena rolls her eyes. “That attack? That was nothing in the life of a Luthor, you should know this by now.” She gets off the bed and makes her way toward the bathroom. “Would you like to change into some regular clothes?” The question has left her mouth before she even registers that she has never seen Supergirl in regular clothing before.
“I actually am going to be leaving soon.” Supergirl too rises from the bed though much more slowly than Lena. “Alex texted me that they’ll be here within the hour.”
Lena nods failing to hide her disappointment. “So your sister is also a part of the men in black like your parents?”
Supergirl laughs. Really laughs. And God, how Lena has missed that sound.
“Yeah, she’s the best of the men in black,” she says, a bright smile across her face. Her eyes are more lively this morning and despite her achy movements she seems more like herself. “How did you know Alex was my sister?”
“You mentioned your sister a lot back in Metropolis and sometimes when you talk in your sleep you say her name. And then after yesterday, when you were so relieved that she was okay...you saying that your family is a part of the government...I just put two and two together.”
“Right. Alex has always joked that if I ever get kidnapped and they hold me over night that they’ll have all of our secrets because of me talking in my sleep.”
“You’re not that bad,” Lena assures her. “Do you have time for breakfast at least?”
“I always have time for food.”
This time it is Lena who laughs. “Yes, I do recall that you had quite the appetite back during the trial.”
A half an hour later, Lena sits a plate with an omelette and toast in front of Supergirl who has tenderly climbed up into one of the bar stools. She then picks up her own coffee cup in both hands, relishing in the warmth it provides as she takes a sip and watches Supergirl’s eyes flutter shut as she savors her first bite. A deep moan escapes from Supergirl’s mouth and fills the silent kitchen.
“Lena, this is...” She doesn't finish the sentence and instead opts for another bite.
“Would you like another one?” Lena asks, seeing that Supergirl has devoured the omelette in three bites.
An enthusiastic nod is all she gets in response.
“If I knew you could cook like this, I’d be over here every morning,” Supergirl says, a sheepish grin plastered across her face as Lena slides another omelette on to her plate. She slows her pace on this one, making sure to give Lena a compliment at every bite. “And I definitely would have made you cook while we were in Metropolis rather than have the FBI’s bland catering.”
“Would you like to?” Lena asks as she pours Supergirl’s coffee into a thermos. She places it next to the folded red cape at the corner of the bar knowing that the hero will be leaving at any time. Suddenly a dread, like post-holiday depression after Christmas night washes over her. Would this be a one time thing? Would they go back to no communication and pretending like they don’t know one another? Or did they make enough progress last night to finally start something real?
“Would I like to what?” Supergirl asks in confusion as she takes her plate to the sink.
“Come over for breakfast. Am I allowed to feed Supergirl again? Or maybe I could meet your human self and feed her?” Lena can feel the weight of the questions press down on them. And she welcomes it because she means it and everything, all the implications, all the meaning between the lines, that comes with it. But panic and doubt begin to register in her heart, and she wonders if she’ll like the answer she’ll receive. Please say yes. Please don’t leave me again. Don’t tease me with the life I want with you.
“Absolutely.”
Lena beams. “Does your human side like omelettes?”
“My human side likes everything except for leafy greens.”
There is a knock at the front door and Supergirl throws the cape over her shoulder and picks up her boots and the thermos full of coffee.
“So...” Lena starts as she escorts Supergirl through the living room.
Supergirl leans down and kisses her lips softly before opening the door. “Give me some time to get some things in order. But I promise I’ll be back.”
Lena sighs in relief as she watches Supergirl enter the elevator with a mob of agents dressed in black knowing that maybe, just maybe, things were going to be okay for them now.
************************************************************************************
Lena is working at her desk, overwhelmed by the tasks that need her attention. She had kept L-Corp open for business in the wake of the attack as a means of showing that neither she nor her company could be affected by the rebels and their anti-alien cause. And she is thankful that she has done so because it has kept her busy and her mind somewhat off Supergirl. It has been two days of silence and that fear of the last two years is dancing in the peripheral of her mind.
A light tapping draws her attention away from her computer screen. She turns in her chair and sees Supergirl standing on the balcony, Lena’s coffee thermos in one hand and a bag in the other. Lena’s face breaks into a wide smile as she stands and gestures for the hero to enter her office. Her heart feels like it might combust at the sight.
“It’s good to see you back in the air, Supergirl.”
“Thanks. Feels good to fly again. And I see L-Corp is still trucking on...”
Lena hums in agreement, too busy taking in the sight of the woman she loves. “What can I do for National City’s hero?”
“I came to return your thermos,” she holds it out for Lena to take, “and to see how you are doing. It looks like the bruises on your neck are healing.”
Lena absentmindedly strokes her neck, forgetting that only two days ago she was attacked. Thoughts of holding Supergirl close in the night and breakfast laughs are all that have been on her mind.
“I’m fine, I promise.”
Supergirl reaches out and places her hands on Lena’s hips and pulls her in closer. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other night and if you are still serious about trying...starting…” she gives an uneasy laugh, “whatever this is after a couple days of thought then we really need to talk. You’re going to have to go through government training and sign a lot of paperwork.”
Lena pushes herself up into the hero and kisses her. It is brief but winds them both completely. “Yes, I still want this. I still want you. And I agree, we need to talk about this,” Lena says breathlessly. “I have an appointment with a reporter soon though. Could we maybe have dinner tonight?”
“Are you cooking?” Supergirl asks as her eyebrows shoot upward in hope.
Lena laughs at the playfulness. She’s missed it desperately. “Does my answer change things for you?”
“Not really. I just like to know what I get to look forward to is all.” Supergirl pulls her in for another kiss.
“Will I be having Supergirl over for dinner or your human side?”
Supergirl’s brow furrows as she contemplates Lena’s question. “You’re sure you want this relationship?”
“Yes. A million times yes.”
“Then I suppose you can meet my human side,” Supergirl relinquishes. “Do you mind if I splash my face in your bathroom before I go?”
Lena looks down at her watch. “My interview isn’t for another ten minutes so please feel free.”
Supergirl kisses her once more and grabs the bag she brought with her off the floor.
“You know, you could stay and say hello if you wanted,” Lena says at Supergirl’s retreating back that is entering the bathroom. She hears the sink come on through the door that Supergirl has left ajar. “The interview is with Kara Danvers. I know that you two know each other.”
“Oh yeah? What’s your interview about?”
“Um...” Lena sits down at her desk and pulls up the calendar on her computer, “...I’m not sure actually. Jess didn’t note it here in the appointment book. It just says interview.” She begins shifting through the obscene amount of post-it notes stuck everywhere on her desk. “Here it is,” she says, plucking the right post-it note off of one of her legal pads. “It’s about–”
“L-Corp’s development of a quantum memory device.”
Lena laughs. “How did you know–” Her laughter cuts off immediately when Kara Danvers steps out of her bathroom, a red cape tossed over her shoulder as she balls Supergirl’s uniform up and stuffs it into the bag. Lena slowly rises out of her chair, her mouth hanging open as she watches the blonde reporter pull out a pair of glasses and a notebook from the bag.
Kara slowly slips the glasses on to her face and raises her eyes to finally meet Lena’s. “I hope you don’t mind that I’m a few minutes early, Ms. Luthor.”