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Lena took a soft, short breath, threading her fingers tightly through the fabric of Kara’s shirt. It wasn’t meant to be such an intimate embrace, Lena knew that. Yet when Kara’s body pressed to her own, she pulled her in a little tighter without meaning to. She was warm and firm and everything Lena craved to feel. These feelings had been growing for months, and the recent events had only solidified that. She knew from day one that she had been instantly attracted to Kara, but it ran deeper than that. From getting to know her, Lena had grown to unconditionally care for her. How could she not, when Kara was the personification of the perfect person?
“Thank you, Kara,” Lena found herself uttering without intending to. Her throat felt tight and she had to swallow down the force of her emotions.
Kara breathed against the side of her neck, causing a shiver to slither down Lena’s back at the heat. “You really don’t need to thank me.”
“Oh, but I do.”
“It’s what I’m here for.”
But why? Why did Kara stand so firmly at her side? Lena wasn’t complaining, but she knew the majority was to distrust her. It came with the name. Yet Kara had remained at her side even when the evidence was overwhelming. Lena wasn’t certain when the tears had collected at her eyes, when her body suddenly became too hot, but she found herself clutching almost too tightly at Kara’s body. Kara didn’t seem to mind or dislike it. She merely held Lena in turn, silently allowing Lena to drink in the physical comfort.
Shakily, Lena finally pulled away. She couldn’t help the slight tinge of embarrassment on her cheeks, and she hoped that her makeup hid it. From the flicker of Kara’s eyes, though, she had a suspicion that Kara knew. She always knew, somehow.
“Will you be alright?” Kara questioned, tone gentle.
Lena still had her hands on Kara’s sides where they had slid down. Her first thought was to take them away, but something held her still. She felt Kara’s hands still on her shoulders, warm palms and strong fingers, and desire suddenly overwhelmed her.
“I’m not sure,” she toned honestly, brows furrowing. Her eyes dropped down to stare at Kara’s lips, so close. They’d hardly stepped apart. Lena could smell Kara, clean and welcoming. Kara’s throat cleared, pulling Lena’s attention back up to her eyes. She saw questions there, in those endlessly blue eyes that more than once Lena found herself drowning in. Outwardly Kara seemed perfectly calm, but her chest was heaving a little too quickly and her ears were steadily turning pink. It was the only indication that Kara was reacting to the situation, too. “Kara?”
Lena’s voice had dropped low, huskier. She would have felt embarrassed for it, but Kara’s short intake of air sent flutters through her tummy. Kara cleared her throat again and looked off to the side. Her awkwardness had always been endearing, but Lena found herself growing frustrated. She wanted Kara to look at her, to see her, and to do so with complete confidence. Lena’s grip tightened.
“Lena, uh… I…”
“Don’t speak.”
Kara’s head lifted, brows connected in question. What am I doing? She could hardly stop her own actions, for her heart was thudding too hard. The way Kara suddenly cocked her head, Lena wondered if she couldn’t hear every thundering heartbeat.
Lena swallowed the dryness from her mouth and tugged Kara a little closer. With a soft gasp, Kara’s arms wrapped around Lena’s neck and her eyes widened. “L-Lena, what are you—?”
Lena silence Kara with her lips. The kiss was inevitable, since the moment Kara Danvers walked into her office beside Clark Kent. Lena felt panic and elation swell up inside of her, but Kara didn’t jerk away, she melted into the kiss. It was almost comical, how she went from looking like a scared kitten to suddenly clutching desperately at Lena’s shoulders, almost a little too firmly. The heat from moments before returned, amplified to every brush of Kara’s impossibly soft lips. Lena had it not within her to resist her groan of satisfaction, and in response Kara sucked in a surprised breath. Lena swore she could feel a shudder pass through Kara’s body.
“Lena…” Kara whispered.
“Sssh.” Lena cupped her face with one hand, eyes closed. She pressed their foreheads together. “Don’t speak yet. Just kiss me.”
For a short second Lena thought she would argue, but then Kara kissed her and Lena’s toes nearly curled. One of Kara’s hands lifted, pulling the hair-tie out and allowing Lena’s dark hair to tumble down the length of her back. Lena chuckled softly, but then Kara ran a hand through her hair, fingertips at the base of her neck, and the chuckle turned into a throaty moan.
“I’ve wanted to do this since forever,” Kara admitted nervously.
Lena grinned into another kiss. “Me too.”
They pulled away slowly, still pressed together, breathing harshly and pink in the face. Lena had never seen Kara’s eyes look quite so blue before. “Will you really be okay?”
There it was. That unfathomable concern for others. Here they were, in the aftermath of a shared revelation, and Kara still worried about her wellbeing. “I will be,” Lena answered. “If you stay the night.”
Kara studied her carefully, as if she wasn’t sure what the offer entailed. But she smiled softly, beautifully, sending Lena’s heart into a flurry of mismatched heartbeats. When she gave the slightest of nods, Lena’s cheeks hurt with her grin. “Let me pack up here and I can drive us to my place.”
Kara watched her intently, gaze almost burning through her. Lena felt as though she could literally burn under that gaze, but forced herself to focus. Once she had gathered her papers and a coat, she led Kara to the door. Before she opened it, Kara’s hand pressed to the small of her back and she paused.
“Lena.”
“Yes, Kara?”
A beat of silence. “Thank you.”
Lena couldn’t understand what Kara was thanking her for. The kiss? The invitation? Those seemed too shallow to match the emotion in Kara’s voice. Lena decided not to question it. She gently took Kara’s hand and turned to give her a smile. “Always,” she responded.
Kara smiled. “Always.”