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She didn’t know why she agreed. In her mind, she had talked herself out of doing any more things like these; hide her feelings behind anything or anyone that could patch up the real feelings deep inside her. It was a defense mechanism she was trying to grow out of, with obvious difficulties. Which is why, after bumping into William on CatCo’s hallway, she had agreed to have coffee with him later.
Lately she hadn’t seen him around much, and deep inside she was thankful. Not that she was avoiding him, although superhearing was a very helpful tool when she wanted to prevent bumping into someone. The truth was Kara felt emotionally drained these past few weeks, what with the fight against Lex and the long talks she had had with Lena afterwards. They were on good terms now, things hadn’t gone back to the way they used to be because it was simply impossible, but Kara found herself thinking maybe it was for the best. Their relationship was filled with lies and deceit before, no matter the good intentions, but now they could turn the page and try to build their relationship on a far better foundation, one of honesty. They had agreed to take a new bow of trust, and it seemed to be working.
She wasn’t seeing much of Lena these days though, her friend was busy rebuilding the public’s trust on her family company, again. But even with these certainties about her friendship with Lena, Kara still found herself feeling uneasy sometimes, and couldn’t help but relive every single thing that had happened between them on her mind when she was in bed at night, trying to fall asleep. Everything seemed to be working out, but she couldn’t help to be worried still.
It was all those thoughts dancing on her mind that led her to be distracted enough to actually be caught by surprise by her coworker. And she found herself agreeing to have coffee with him. She just needed a distraction… that was all. Coffee was not a big compromise, it wasn’t even a compromise, it was a beverage. Between colleges. It was safe.
She was still shaking her head at herself as she walked out of the building and onto the sidewalk. She had an interview to do before lunch at a café nearby and felt like walking to clear her head. The novelist she had to meet was a very eccentric but interesting character, and before she knew it they had engrossed themselves so deep in the interview she had forgotten about everything that had kept her mind reeling.
As she walked out of the café two hours later she found time had flew by and she would be late for lunch with her sister if she didn’t hurry. Just as she was looking both ways to find an alley in which to take flight from, she caught a glimpse of unmistakable dark hair and expensive clothes and turned sideways to see Lena, wearing a frown that could be seen even behind her Burberry sunglasses. She was inside an antique store, looking visibly irritated as she checked her phone.
Kara could feel her heart do a vertiginous summersault inside her chest the second before she decided to approach her.
“Lena?” She smiled, taking a step forward as her friend recognized her and reached up to push her sunglasses on top of her head.
“Kara! What are you doing here?” Lena’s demeanor changed a little, shoulders relaxing as she seemed pleased to see her. Kara’s smile grew bigger and she pushed her glasses up her nose.
“I was just walking back from doing an interview. What about you?” She looked around behind her friend’s shoulder. “Doing some shopping?”
“I was trying to buy an antique little table but there seems to be a problem.” She huffed.
“What’s the matter?”
“Apparently their delivery van broke and the owner’s husband is at the shop right now trying to fix it, and I have a meeting in an hour with this old partner whom I’m supposed to be gifting this!”
“Woah, Lena.” Kara raised her hands and settled them on her friend’s shoulders. “Breathe, okay? I can help you with the table.”
“You can?” Lena seemed to deflate, sighing. Kara flexed her right bicep and she snorted.
“Remember?”
“Right, silly me.” Lena rolled her eyes, moving further inside the shop to talk to the owner, as Kara could clearly hear.
“It’s not so bad.” Kara chuckled as they walked down the street.
“It wouldn’t be so easy to walk several blocks carrying that table in these heels.” Lena scoffed. Kara looked down at Lena’s lean legs and calves accentuated by the high heels. She whistled.
“Touché.” They smiled at each other. “So you have a meeting with an old partner, how is everything going?”
“I guess better than I expected.” Lena shrugged nonchalantly, but Kara could see the small frown between her eyes. “This man is an investor that used to do business with my dad. He didn’t fancy my brother’s way of handling the business, but I guess he likes dealing with me, so that’s good.”
“That sounds great, actually.” Kara smiled, adjusting her grip on the table. She could carry it with one hand, hell, even two fingers, but she had the habit of pretending to be human so ingrained in her to the point that it became second thought.
“What about you? How did your interview go?”
“It was very interesting. I’m glad CatCo is slowly moving away from that click baiting fever we were subjected to for a while there.” She saw Lena cringe out of the corner of her eye. “I mean, for a while I was glad because it gave me more time for my supergirl duties since I could write those articles in minutes, but lately since things have calmed down, I kinda missed doing my old reporting.”
“Things are quiet, right?” Kara could feel Lena’s mood shifting a little and she moved subconsciously closer so that their shoulders were brushing.
“Nothing mayor than petty crimes, luckily.” Kara smiled.
“How lucky.” Lena whispered, her narrowed eyes staring down. She looked up and smiled brightly at Kara as the doorman pushed the door open for them.
“Thank you.” Kara smiled politely at him from behind the table. They rode the elevator in silence.
“How lucky for me, bumping into you.” Lena smiled once Kara had settled the table down on a corner of her office.
“Otherwise you would have had to carry that all by yourself.”
“The table, right.” Lena smiled, tucking stray hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Kara.”
“You’re –“She froze when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket and at the same time remembered she was supposed to be meeting her sister for lunch. “Shoot, I forgot about Alex. Hey! Sorry, I had some matters to attend to but I’ll be there in a minute. Promise! Sorry! Bye!”
“Let me guess, she’s pissed.” Lena chuckled, already sat in her office chair with her legs crossed.
Kara stared first at the heels, then shook her head and smiled as she pocketed her phone.
“I’m always late lately.” She shrugged. “Hey, um, lunch soon?”
“Just name the date.” Lena smiled.
“Super! It was great to see you, Lena. Can I take your window?” She pointed to it with raised eyebrows. Lena chuckled and bit her lip.
“Goodbye Supergirl.” She said affectionately.
Kara felt almost giddy as she flew to meet her sister. It was so good to have Lena back, and she was looking forward to spend time together like they used to. She had forgotten how good it felt when they were on good terms, how easy it was to be around each other. It had been a dark time for Kara when they were apart, and for some reason it was having it all back again what sometimes kept her up at night.
They didn’t meet up for lunch. Not that week or the next. For some reason Kara always talked herself out of calling Lena even with the phone already in her hand. Maybe she didn’t have the time or perhaps she was tired after working long hours as she liked to do. She wanted so badly to see her friend, but at the same time she found herself dreading it, she felt fearful.
Lately she had been dreaming about a certain night, in which she flew into Lena’s home unannounced, said harmful things to her. And Lena just stood there. Kara got angrier, she wanted her to lash out, fight back, but she didn’t. Then she was flying, and green cannons were pointed at her, loading, and she also stood in place, doing nothing as they blasted her.
She wanted to see Lena, maybe thought about her nearly every day if she was being modest. It scared her, because she remembered what it had felt like, to feel empty. It scared her someone held so much weight over her emotions, over her wellbeing. It scared her to feel anxious for everything to be perfect, about saying the wrong thing. And it wasn’t Lena’s fault, she wasn’t judging her every move, but Kara was aware of every single action and every word she said, she felt self-conscious like never before.
Maybe it was because she didn’t want to get hurt, and even though she knew Lena was working as much as her in doing things right by them, she still felt like everything could crumble and she would be left feeling empty again. She would be alone again. Once she had told Lena her secret, put everything she was on the line, let herself feel, unrestricted, the result had frightened her. Everything she was willing to do to make Lena forgive her, even going back in time and changing reality; it all terrified her. The lengths she had been willing to go.
She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror, sliding a hand down to smooth a wrinkle in her dress. She didn’t know why she agreed, but here she was, going on an actual date with William after having postponed it for over two weeks. He hadn’t waited even twenty four hours after they had met for coffee to send her a text about how they should give the dating thing another go now they weren’t so busy with work, if she felt like it of course.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like him. He was… nice, and sometimes could be funny as well. He could hold a conversation and they had some things in common. He was also handsome. It could be nice, if she tried. He didn’t make her nervous, but then again not giddy. The feeling… it was safe. Tame. Just a little spark and not an explosion. And maybe it was a good thing, they were easy to deal with and uncomplicated feelings. She could try just once more, and perhaps feelings could surface. Right.
It had been an overall good evening, they met at a bar and had drinks and played pool and darts, nothing too different than their first date, also not so different than any day with her friends at the alien bar. He was easy to talk to, he was a nice guy, but she still found herself pulling her face away from his and giving him an awkward hug at the end of the night.
Burying her hands on her coat pockets, Kara sighed as she let the cold wind hit her face. She was done pretending she was interested. She was done sweeping her emotions under the rug. She closed her eyes as she waited for the light to turn red. After everything she had been through, after being so close to death so many times and seeing how her world could end in a matter of seconds, she knew how important it was to not waste time, to be true to herself. Seize the moment and all that. When she opened her eyes, blue met green looking back at her from across the street.
“Lena!” She smiled big as she approached her, extending her hand to take her friend’s and pull her in for a hug.
“Kara.” Lena hugged her back. “I can’t believe we meet like this again.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I left the office and felt like going out for a drink for once.” Lena shrugged, pointing back to the pub on the corner right behind her. “How about you?” She looked at her up and down. “You look lovely.”
“Yeah.” The blonde rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a blush growing on her cheeks. “Thanks, I was…”
“On a date?” Lena guessed.
“Yeah.”
“Well that face is not promising.” She smiled at her friend’s grimace.
“It was okay, I mean he’s nice.” She shrugged.
“Nice? Is that all?” Lena smirked, trying and failing to catch her friend’s gaze.
“He’s… funny?” Kara grimaced even further.
“Okay.” Lena laughed and she found herself laughing with her.
“Can I… accompany you? For that drink?”
Lena nodded, slipping her hand on her friend’s elbow and tugging her along inside the pub and onto an empty booth. Kara could still feel the imprint of that hand as she sat across her friend.
“So… wish to share more about this date?” Lena asked once they were both nursing their drinks.
“There’s not really much to tell… you know him, actually.”
“I do?” She raised her famous eyebrow.
“Yeah, William Dey…” A look of recognition flashed across her friend’s face and Kara felt the sudden urge to explain herself further. “We went out once, and it was okay, but… I mean, I didn’t want to go at first but… everyone was so worried about me and kept urging me on…” She looked up to find her friend looking attentively at her. “And he insisted, so I said yes.” She ended with a lame shrug.
“And did you have a nice time?” Lena smirked as she sipped her drink.
“Well yes and… no. I mean, he’s okay.” She frowned. “I like him, just… not like that.”
“What do you mean he insisted until you said yes?” Lena scowled a little, visibly trying to cool her features.
“Well, when you say it like that it sounds kinda bad.” She laughed awkwardly.
“Sorry.”
“No! It’s okay.” Kara reached across the table to squeeze Lena’s hand briefly. “It’s just… after we went out the first time, I told him I wasn’t interested, and he seemed to understand. But then he asked me to meet for coffee a couple of times, just as friends, and after I agreed he asked me out again.” She finished with a frown. “Yeah, it sounds bad.”
“It sounds like he can’t take no for an answer.” Lena scoffed. “Sorry, I don’t want to be crass.”
“It’s okay.” Kara smiled, she started to reach out for her friend’s hand again and hesitated for a second, probably so short that Lena didn’t notice, but ultimately she stroked her fingers delicately on her knuckles before pulling back. Her heart skipped a beat at the awkwardness she suddenly felt. “I didn’t think about it like that until I said all that out loud. But you’re right. As usual.” She grinned as Lena ducked her head in a bashful smile. “So how are you?”
“Oh, you know.” She shrugged. “I feel like I’m living in that movie, groundhog day. Only it’s a horror movie.” She chuckled, downing the rest of her drink. “You know, having to clear the company name once again, all over again… it’s exhausting. And here people thought my brother to be so perfect, so it all seems harder than the first time. They are so disappointed and angry.” She frowned.
Kara felt the urging need to move next to her friend and wrap an arm around her shoulder, like they used to do. But just the thought of it had her heart beating faster again and she felt suddenly nervous and confused. She knew they were trying to get back to the friendship they used to have, but she didn’t use to feel so nervous around Lena.
“I’m sorry you have to go through all this again.” She pressed her lips together, balling her hand on a tight fist and berating herself for not hugging her friend.
“It could be worse, I guess.” Lena shrugged. “You know that investor I told you about last time, the one that likes to do business with me… I already knew that. I knew all the ways in which to convince him to work with me, because I already did it once.” She sighed. “But the hatred from everyday people who look at you on the street and see evil… that’s not something I can get used to.”
“I know it’s unfair that you have to clear your name once again, but I’m sure they will see the real you in time.”
“I’m not even sure who that is.” Lena whispered, looking down at her hands.
“Lena…”
“It’s okay, Kara. We didn’t come here for a pity party.” She schooled her features with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m going to get another drink, do you want another?”
“Sure.” She nodded, watching Lena leave for the bar and watching people turn around to see her as she walked by.
She looked lovely with her pencil skirt and heels and Kara knew other people were appreciating it as well. It wasn’t the first time she noticed these things, she had always thought Lena could be a supermodel or an actress if she so desired, and she couldn’t deny getting lost in her beauty from time to time, but it was the first time her own body noticed those things. Her hands were sweating and she hoped her friend hadn’t felt it when she held her hand.
“Here.” Lena placed the drink on the table and slid on the booth in front of her once again. Kara blinked several times to get out of her stupor.
“Thanks.” She smiled. “So… sorry I didn’t contact you for lunch like we said. I’ve been…”
“It’s okay, Kara. I’ve been busy as well.” She drowned half her drink in one big gulp. “I’m glad we’re here now.”
“Me too.” The blonde grinned. “But what I was gonna say was, you should come for game night this Friday.”
“Oh.” Lena seemed surprised, tucking a tiny lock of hair behind her ear. “Um… I’m not... sure the rest of your friends would be comfortable with that.” She frowned.
“Lena, they’re your friends too.”
“Kara.” She fixed her piercing green eyes on blue. “They don’t like me.”
“But…” She was at a loss for words. “Didn’t you get the invite to Alex and Kelly’s wedding?”
“I did.” Lena shrugged. “I’m sure it was just etiquette.”
“I don’t think so. Kelly likes you, and Alex… well, you know she can be stubborn but she knows you saved my life, and she’s grateful. It’s just hard for her to voice her feelings sometimes, especially when she knows she was wrong.”
“So she doesn’t hate me for having worked alongside my brother? For almost helping him mind-control the world?” She drowned the rest of her drink with a grimace.
“After how we worked together to defeat him she knows you regret all that happened before.” Kara pursed her lips with a sad expression. “Lena, we’ve talked about this… I thought…”
“Well, she can forgive me, your friends can forgive me, you can forgive me; but me?” She shook her head. “I’m not sure I can forgive myself.”
Kara’s heart constricted seeing her friend’s sad and distraught face, and she didn’t hesitate to get up and slide on the booth next to her this time. She tentatively wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulder and sighed quietly in relief when she felt Lena lean into her touch.
“I wish there was something I could do to make you see…” She shook her head. “Do you keep count on how many times you’ve saved my life? Or put your life at risk for me?”
“You’ve done the same for me.” Lena shook her head. “But you’ve never put my life in danger, and I can’t say the same thing.”
Kara sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and tuning in on how it felt to have her friend so close, her warmth, her smell, her weight on her side.
“Lena… we hurt each other. We both did.” She took a deep breath. “Yet here we are.” She squeezed her shoulder lightly. “It has to count for something, right?” Her heart skipped a beat when Lena rested her head on her shoulder.
“Sometimes I feel like I can’t take it… all of this.” Lena whispered, knowing Kara could hear her anyway. The alcohol had relaxed her enough so that her hand rested on her friend’s thigh without a second thought, lowering her defenses just enough for her to be able to voice her feelings. “I’m glad I have you.”
Kara swallowed, praying that Lena couldn’t feel the mad beating of her heart pounding inside her chest. She used her free hand to briefly swipe her friend’s hair away from her face and then rested it atop the hand on her leg.
“You do have me.” She whispered back. “Always.”
She didn’t normally like to intrude on others like this, but Kara couldn’t help but tune in on Lena’s thumping heartbeat when she saw her standing next to the kitchen counter, playing with her fingers as she watched her pour the snacks on various bowls.
Alex and Kelly were already spread out on the loveseat, the redhead’s legs on her fiancé’s lap, talking animatedly with Nia about the villain they had stopped together just a few hours ago while Brainy turned page after page of a magazine with a deep, confused frown on his face.
“Everything ok?” Kara smiled at her friend.
“May I help?” Lena advanced toward her with hesitant steps, nibbling on her bottom lip.
“It’s okay, I got this.” Kara smiled, frowning when it wasn’t returned. “What’s wrong?” She asked lowly. Lena shook her head, glancing back over her shoulder and shrugging.
“I…”
Kara couldn’t help but reach for her hand and tug her closer. Lena looked so small and vulnerable that her heart ached more strongly than her newfound self-consciousness.
“It’s okay, Lena.” She smiled reassuringly, relieved when a small smile was returned to her, fingers squeezing her hand. “Why don’t you grab the bottle of red you brought and open it? We need glasses, too.”
She rested her hip on the counter as she watched her friend reach for everything in her kitchen with practiced ease and sighed. This was the normalcy she missed; this was what she could have lost. For months, without Lena, she had felt incomplete. Game nights hadn’t been the same; her weekends without movie nights with her best friend were lonely, even when she wasn’t alone. It just wasn’t the same, their relationship and every other she had with her friends and family. Lena was special, and she was just now beginning to understand just how much; how much she had missed her around her house doing just about anything, things as normal as rummaging through her drawers and cupboards and stretching on her toes for the shelves she barely reached.
She knew the lengths she had gone to help her, to protect her and believe in her even when all the odds weren’t in her favor. She had taken risks on Lena’s behalf that she hadn’t for anyone else, not even her romantic partners. She was scared of the power her best friend could hold over her without even trying, but the pull towards her was stronger, it was magnetic. She was done fighting it; she was done pretending it wasn’t even there. She just wanted to be happy, wanted Lena to be happy. They had already suffered too much.
Lena turned around to find her staring and she couldn’t help the blush that spread through her cheeks. There was tenderness to Lena’s gaze, a softness her eyes portrayed so beautifully she didn’t think she had seen before. Gone was her nervousness when she approached her to reach for the wine bottle on the counter.
“Shall we?” Lena gestured towards their friends and Kara nodded dumbly, following behind her with snacks on hand and sitting next to her on the couch.
Kelly turned towards them the next moment and engrossed Lena on a science project conversation that Brainy soon joined, and Kara could feel her best friend relaxing next to her as the minutes went by.
They played cards and ordered pizza and ice-cream and drunk some more wine until Kara and Brainy were the only ones sober. When eventually Lena and Alex bumped into each other at the kitchen and started talking in low voices, she tried her hardest not to eavesdrop on what they were talking about. Their heads were down; their solemn looks slowly morphing into small, tentative smiles until, surprising her, Lena threw her arms around Alex’s neck in a hug that was strongly returned. Kara looked away, containing her smile on pressed lips, and her eyes locked with Kelly’s, who was smiling back at her.
Kara couldn’t help but remember their crestfallen faces on the day they personally heard just how horribly Lex treated his sister, the hatred and manipulation as he tried to tear her down for helping her friends instead of her family. That was the moment Kara realized just how deeply his manipulative and abusive behavior had gripped Lena’s judgment when she was at her most vulnerable, alone and betrayed by all her friends; and by the look on her sister’s face that same day, she knew Alex had had a similar realization.
She had beaten herself up for a long time over not realizing just how hurt Lena had been when she found out about her lies and betrayal, when she had done the same to her as every other person she had ever decided to trust. Now she was glad they were all making amends, making apologies, recognizing how important Lena was in their lives and as part of their team.
Nia was the first to head home after falling asleep on top of Brainy, who had to practically carry her out of the apartment.
“The wedding is in two weeks.” Kelly announced as she was being helped into her coat by Alex. “You still haven’t RSVP’d.” She narrowed her eyes at Lena.
“Yeah, you are coming, right?” Alex asked hesitantly.
“Uh… of course. I forgot, but I’ll have my assistant send it first thing tomorrow.” Lena blushed.
“You better.” Kelly pointed an accusatory but playful finger at her, her drunkenness making itself apparent. “I know you’re a fortune 500 CEO, but don’t ignore us.” She pouted.
“We would love it if you were there.” Alex smiled, slipping an arm around her fiancé’s waist.
“First thing tomorrow.” Lena nodded before they let themselves out. “Oh.” She raised her eyebrows when she turned around to find all the mess their friends had left gone. “I was going to help with that.”
“Don’t worry.” Kara shrugged. “Superspeed.” She offered as an explanation.
“Right.”
“Were you planning on sending that RSVP?” She asked knowingly, flopping down on the couch with a grunt.
“Well, before today…” Lena sat down next to her much more gracefully despite her being the drunken one. “I was going to have an inconvenient business trip on that day if anyone asked.” She looked pointedly at Kara. “But now I think I will send it.”
“Go with me.” Kara blurted out, immediately trying to disguise her impulsiveness with nonchalance and failing terribly. “I mean, we don’t have partners, at least I don’t, so we could… I mean, I think you don’t but maybe you do, sorry for assuming –“
“Kara.” Lena chuckled, resting a hand on her thigh and effectively shutting her up. “I think it’s a great idea. I don’t have a partner and besides, I would feel much more comfortable facing the stares with you by my side.”
“Okay.” Kara rested her cheek on the back of the couch, smiling sheepishly and blushing despite her hard efforts in seeming just practical and not like the invitation meant something else to her. “Great.”
Lena smiled back at her, and she too was blushing, and even though Kara tried her hardest not to, she could hear her best friend’s heart thumping hard inside her chest.
Kara felt the sting of tears forming behind her eyes as she stood at the altar, watching her sister and Kelly walk towards her arm in arm. The radiant look of happiness on Alex’s face flooded her chest with warmth so big she was afraid she might bust. James was standing in front of her on Kelly’s side, looking tall and handsome and proud. The ceremony was small, just close friends and coworkers, and she could already hear sniffles from all across the room even before the officiant started speaking.
By the time Alex and Kelly exchanged vows, Eliza was practically sobbing and Kara watched with a small smile as Nia comforted her with a hand rubbing her back, even if she wasn’t fairing much better drying her cheeks with a handkerchief. Brainy seemed at a loss as he watched his emotional friends, whispering in Lena’s ear what Kara was sure were confused questions. Lena was smiling big when their eyes locked, and Kara grinned back.
Tears were rolling down her cheeks by the time Alex slipped her ring on Kelly’s finger and her now wife did the same. Kara cheered alongside everyone when they shared their first kiss as a married couple. She watched them walk down the aisle with a watery grin before stepping down and walking towards her mother to give her a hug.
“I’m so emotional, I can’t…” Eliza was sobbing on her shoulder. “Kara! I’ll ruin your dress with my makeup.”
“It’s okay, mom.” Kara chuckled.
“I have to –“She hiccupped. “I have to make sure everything is ready at the party!” She gasped, as if suddenly remembering.
“Do you need me to come with you?”
“No, honey, you go with your friends and I’ll head there first.” She hugged her one last time before hurrying away. Kara watched her leave with a chuckle.
“Happy?” Lena was by her side smiling at her. She looked stunning with her hair pulled back in an elegant bun with locks of hair framing her face and a dress that accentuated every feature Kara was trying not to ogle.
“So happy.” She nodded, blushing as a soft hand reached to wipe a tear track from her cheek.
“This is the first wedding ceremony I actually enjoyed.” Lena confessed as they started walking out. “No extravagant luxuries, no showing off; just palpable love.”
“I know, right?” Kara smiled, offering her hand to help Lena into the limo that would take them to the party. “It was like you could feel it in the air, how much they love each other.” They locked eyes in the closeness of the car. She wanted to say something, anything, but suddenly words were failing her.
“You humans cry when you’re happy, it’s so strange.” Brainy stated as he slid awkwardly on the seat in front of them, effectively cutting the tension that had formed between them and making them almost jump in their seat.
“Yup, emotions are weird.” Nia agreed, closing the door behind her. She looked first at Kara’s flushed face and then at Lena’s ducked head, a smirk forming on her face. “They’re a hard thing to fight against.”
Alex and Kelly were already waiting for everyone, greeting them with handshakes and hugs as people arrived. A crowd of women started forming and Kara looked quizzically at Lena.
“She’s gonna throw the bouquet.” Lena explained.
“Come on!” Nia shouted, grabbing both of their hands and tugging them along.
Kara let herself be pulled as Lena protested.
“This is embarrassing.” She muttered.
“I’m gonna step away or someone’s gonna fracture a bone crashing into me.” Kara informed her with an alarmed frown.
“Don’t leave me here, Kara please!” Lena laughed as everyone started shouting, turning around just in time for the flowers to hit her head and land on her feet. “Oh.” She picked them up with a flush, swinging them around awkwardly as some women stared angrily at her and some laughed.
“Well, lucky you.” Kara grinned.
“Oh, please.” She flushed harder, her face turning crimson.
Kara threw her head back in laughter, placing a hand on the small of her back to guide her towards the tables. Eliza, J’onn, M'gann, Alex, Kelly and James soon joined them, and Kara was practically vibrating with excitement when the food arrived.
“You tell me if someone notices my inhaling, please?” She smiled cheekily at Lena.
“I’ll keep watch.” She nodded solemnly.
They spent a good amount of time eating and drinking before James stood up and cleared his throat, making everyone turn their attention towards him as the room gradually fell silent.
“So, as custom calls, I would like to say a few words. First of all, to Alex, welcome the family.” He smiled down at her and then gestured towards himself first and then Kelly. “This is it.” He chuckled. “We’ve known each other for a few years and I have no doubt about the strength of your character and the kindness of your spirit. You have shown yourself to be strong in the hardest of times and caring to those you love in moments of need. And I know my sister has a habit of taking care of everyone around her, so I’m glad now she has someone who will take care of her.” Kelly smiled bashfully, ducking her head. Alex nodded, catching a tear from the corner of her eye before it could ruin her make up. “I’m glad to see your family and mine uniting in the most beautiful of ways.” He grinned and raised his glass. “To the Danvers-Olsen family!”
Everyone cheered and echoed him, raising their glasses. Kara cleared her throat nervously and stoop up next.
“Okay.” She puffed out. “I know I’m a writer, but public speeches are not my thing, so… bear with me.” She smiled as some people laughed. “Kelly, I would also like to welcome you to our family, which is also a small one. By blood at least.” She smiled at J’onn. “I have seen the love you have for my sister, and how much she loves you, and I can’t express with words alone how happy it makes me to know that she has someone who will always be by her side. Our –her line of job is hard, it’s painful sometimes, and I’m glad to know she will always have someone to come home to, to form the family she has always dreamed of. And for that person to be you, someone so caring and loving and also strong… I know you will have the courage to tell her when she’s being hardheaded...” She grinned. “To talk her out of doing crazy things or from putting too much weight on her shoulders.” She took a deep breath. “I know you will help each other be the best versions of yourselves, guide one another through hard times, but mostly love each other unconditionally. So… I want to thank you, to say I’m so happy to now be your sister, and to ask you, even though I know I don’t have to, to take care of my big sister.” She smiled down at Kelly, who didn’t stop the tears running down her cheeks as she and Alex held hands. “To Kelly and Alex.” Kara raised her glass and everyone mirrored her.
She sat down on her chair with a shaky sigh, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She felt Lena’s warm hand on hers and entwined their fingers.
“That was beautiful, Kara.”
They smiled at each other until Kara was pulled from her seat by her sister and sister-in-law for a group hug. They laughed and cried at the same time, and when they pulled apart she found she hadn’t let go of Lena’s hand.
Soon after that, they cut the wedding cake and everyone started trading seats to talk to other people at the party. Music started sounding louder and more and more people gravitated towards the dance floor in various states of inebriation. Kara stood up from Nia’s table when she saw William approaching and went back to her seat to find Lena chatting with Eliza and J’onn.
“Having fun?” She leaned over her friend’s shoulder.
“I’m not as drunk as I would like.” Lena twisted her head to answer, the long column of her neck stretching. “But it’s okay.”
Kara found herself staring first at her collarbone and next the mole on her throat that had more than once captivated her.
“Wanna dance?” She found herself asking.
“Kara, you know I don’t dance.” Lena wrinkled her nose, and just then the upbeat music changed to something slower.
“Come on.” Kara grabbed her hand, pulling lightly but not enough to bring her to her feet. “Just this one song?” She smiled lopsidedly.
Lena looked down and pressed her lips together before standing up, squeezing Kara’s hand in what she could guess was apprehension as she followed.
“Just… follow my lead.” Kara instructed, slipping a hand around Lena’s middle and holding on to her other hand. “You’ll see it’s not hard.” She started moving their bodies slowly back and forth. “It’s just swaying to the music.” She said a little quieter, starting to feel not so bold now that her friend’s body was so close to hers.
Lena followed her moves for a minute, and Kara found herself moving her hand higher up her back, between her shoulder blades, pulling their bodies closer. After another minute, Lena let go of her hand to rest her forearms on Kara’s shoulders, and soon their fronts were pressed together as they danced, Kara’s hands resting on her lower back.
“You’re right.” Lena muttered, her face so close to Kara’s their cheeks were almost touching. “This isn’t so hard.”
Kara took a deep breath, letting the scent of Lena’s hair and her perfume fill her lungs when she rested her head on Kara’s shoulder, their dance pose more like a hug as their bodies pressed together from the waist up. She didn’t feel scared, not anymore. The feelings she had tried so hard to push down for years now where fully encompassing, filling her entire body with warmth. After all they had been through, the lies and the hurt and the inescapable forgiveness, it had all led them here, to this moment. They had tried to push each other away to no avail, because all along, this was what they had really wanted. To be together.
She brought her hand up to stroke up Lena’s hair at her nape.
“I’m so happy you’re here with me.” She whispered, biting her bottom lip when Lena pulled away slightly to look at her in the eye.
“There’s no other place I’d rather be.” She smiled.
She took Lena’s hand as the song ended, leading her away towards the garden filled with flowers and illuminated with little bright yellow lights. Lena was smiling at her, their fingers entwined. Words, right, she had to use them.
“Kara.” But it was Lena who spoke first. “I’ve been… stubborn, I guess you could say.” She lowered her head with a chuckle. “I’ve always had a hard time trusting people, and generally just… dealing with my feelings.” She squeezed her hand as she took a deep breath. “I used to compartmentalize them, to… lock them up inside boxes so that I wouldn’t have to deal with them. And I thought I had it all figured out, but then… well, after our fall out, and the way I reacted… I realized there are just some things you cannot hide away.” Their eyes met, the emotion brimming in her green eyes so deep that Kara felt an involuntary shiver. “I don’t want to hide anymore. I don’t want to fight my emotions or shove them deep inside, because… I’m tired of pretending that I don’t –that we…”
“Lena, I want us to be happy.” Kara interjected, lacing both their hands and pulling her a little closer. “I don’t want us to hide anymore, either.” She heard Lena’s sharp intake of breath.
“Are you saying –”
“I have feelings for you.” Kara rushed out. “I’ve never… in all my years on Earth, I’ve never felt like this for anyone. Like… I would do anything… anything for you.” She watched Lena’s eyes glimmering with emotion and a rush of affection flowed within her so strongly that she forgot all about feeling nervous. “Like being without you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, I felt so lost and hopeless, but the worst part was knowing that I’d hurt you when all I ever wanted to do was take care of you.” She couldn’t help but wrap Lena in her arms when tears began to fall down her cheeks. “I want us to make up for all the time we’ve lost, and maybe… there’s really a chance for us to be happy… together.”
“Kara, you’ve always taken care of me.” Lena smiled, pulling back slightly so that they could look at each other. She smiled warmly when Kara reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks and leaned into her touch, her face cradled by strong hands that could be so very delicate. “We’ve saved each other’s lives on more than one occasion.” She chuckled. “Because… because we love each other.” She rushed out.
“I do love you…” Kara whispered shakily, slowly moving her head forward to press their foreheads together. “Lena…” She breathed out. “I love you.”
“Kiss me?” She could feel more than hear Lena’s request as their lips brushed together, even before she could finish voicing it out loud. The softness of her lips, the delicate press of them against her own was like nothing Kara had ever felt before. In all of her years of practicing being careful and tender, she had never felt something quite like this.
They fused together in a hug so tight Kara was afraid she could hurt Lena, but they were laughing, their bodies trembling with it, with all-encompassing happiness.
“I love you, Kara.” Lena whispered in her ear, pressing soft kisses against her cheek over and over until their lips met again, fusing together in a deeper kiss that spread warmth all the way down to their toes.
Kara held firmly onto Lena’s waist with both arms, hands splayed on her back as Lena circled her shoulders with her arms. They were floating a few millimeters above the ground in a burst of feeling Kara simply couldn’t contain. She just couldn’t hide this kind of happiness, she didn’t even want to. They deserved this joy and so much more.