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Lena wasn’t used to worrying about other people. For as long as she could remember she’d been a solitary person, her heart well-guarded and rarely open to others. It had been her norm for so long Lena hadn’t been able to explore the possibility of opening it up on her own.
Then Kara.
Kara hadn’t been the one to open Lena’s heart, she hadn’t forced her way in nor pushed Lena to open up to her, she’d simply been the constant that Lena needed to see she’d been closed off for so many years. Kara was the reason she wanted to feel everything and anything again if it meant she might somehow draw her in closer, to bond them together.
In short, Kara had caused a conscious change within Lena by simply being Kara. Her warm, bright, loving Kara.
However, there was a price to the vulnerability of love, especially when her love was the Girl of Steel, the Maiden of Might, the soul defender of National City. Every moment Kara was out of Lena’s sight any number of unknown dangers lurked behind every corner, all of them a threat to the love Lena had fallen so deeply into.
The worry that Kara sparked in Lena was wholly new and not entirely welcome as she settled back down on the sofa for the third time that night to look on at the balcony, dressed in silky pyjamas. It was late, later than Kara had said she’d be and Lena was standing on the edge of a precipice of panic.
But she found calm, half from the sweatshirt she held that smelt like Kara, and half from her simple faith in Kara. She wasn’t reckless, her risks were often calculated, and most importantly she wasn’t alone out there.
In any case Lena was always going to worry, Superhero or not, Kara was everything to her now.
The clock was just past midnight when Kara finally landed outside on the balcony, looking rather dishevelled but unharmed. Lena sighed a heavy sigh of relief as she stood from the sofa to greet Kara at the balcony door.
‘You’re a sight for sore eyes,’ Kara grinned, enveloping Lena in a warm hug. Lena held her tightly, beyond happy to see her safe and sound, despite smelling so strongly of smoke. ‘It’s been a very long day.’
‘I know, I was worried,’ Lena admitted, kissing Kara’s check as she let her go to look at her properly. There was a smudge of ash on her check and nose which Lena reached up to wipe away. Just as all her worries had steadily grown in an instant they were gone, nothing else mattering now that she had Kara back.
‘Thanks,’ Kara caught Lena’s hand in her own, turning to kiss her palm gently, running her lips further up her arm. ‘I’m sorry I worried you, there was a fire just beyond the city, the whole building went up in flames!’
‘God, was anyone hurt?’ Lena asked, following Kara through the apartment towards the bedroom.
‘Thankfully not, quite a few burns to go around though, the fire was already raging when I arrived. Still, paramedics made no indication for concern, everyone should be fine. One of the washing machines caught alight, they really aren’t kidding when they say to clean out your lint tray,’ Kara replied.
‘I’m glad, I’m sure you did a wonderful job, darling,’ Lena smiled as Kara flopped down onto the bed on her back, her arms spread either side of her. Lena perched on the bed next to her and placed a hand on Kara’s stomach.
‘Are you alright?’ she asked, leaning up on her elbows to look at Lena.
She nodded. ‘Yes. I just let my worry get the better of me, it’s nothing serious.’
Kara sat up properly and cupped Lena’s cheek, rubbing across it softly with her thumb. ‘I know it isn’t easy, I won’t pretend what I do doesn’t come with real risk, but I swear to you, Lena, my first priority is coming back to you, no matter what.’
Lena believed her. There was such earnest in Kara’s eyes, her voice taking on the most serious note Lena knew it could.
‘I love you,’ Lena whispered, leaning forward to rest her forehead against Kara’s.
‘I love you too,’ she replied, dipping down to capture Lena’s lips.
The kiss was unhurried; a further declaration of the love they’d spoken of. Lena wanted to press herself into Kara until they become one in body and mind. She wanted to feel all Kara felt and her feel everything Lena did in turn.
Lena broke the kiss first, the edges of a grin playing her lips. ‘You smell,’ she said ,pushing Kara by the forehead her finger, ‘and it’s late.’
‘Ugh,’ Kara groaned, standing up to quickly remove her supersuit, leaving it strewn on the floor as she hurriedly grabbed the t-shirt and shorts she’d begun keeping at Lena’s apartment.
Lena watched her with amusement, letting out a squeak as Kara swept her up in the process of getting changed and tumbled into bed with her. Kara let out an audible “umph” as she lay flat on her stomach with her face in the pillows.
Lena grinned, rolling over and wedging herself under Kara’s strewn arm. The kryptonian instantly pulled her close, burying her face in Lena’s hair and finding her cheek to kiss. ‘I need to be up early in the morning,’ Kara grunted, her eyes already closing.
‘Mhm,’ Lena hummed, sinking out of reality and into Kara with ease. She felt around for the covers, pulling them up tightly around them, sealing them into their little nest.
‘I could stay here forever, y’know,’ Kara murmured. Lena opened her eyes for a moment, smiling to herself.
‘I’d let you,’ she replied, turning her head to peer at Kara in the dark. She said nothing more, seemingly having fallen asleep. Lena turned over and nestled in close, her arms snaked tight around Kara as she thought with certainty there was no safe place than falling asleep in Kara Danver’s arms.