Kicking off their heels as the door clicked shut- Kara sighed thankful to be home after having put the ghastly likes of Morgan Edge and Lillan Luthor behind bars.
Silence ensued as two sets of bare feet padded across the slippery flooring and Kara knew for a fact that she couldn't allow her awareness levels to drop until she had assuaged her best friends concerns over the sudden reappearance of her no longer deceased ex-boyfriend and had found herself in the apartment alone-
{even if she desperately craved to be free of the restraints of a secret identity right about now and just float over towards her bedroom to be done with the chaos of this evenings events regardless of whether or not Lena was stood there.
Screw Secret Identities huh- }
Instead she'd relented. Knowing that she'd have to live with the fact that she needed to appear more 'normal' in front of Lena for the foreseeable, it was just too dangerous and she'd lost far too many people to even consider it an option.
The proof was in the pudding and Mon-El was only the most recent in a long list of tragic sob stories to do with her life that she really didn't need to incorporate more innocent lives and deaths into.
Glancing over towards the woman in question, she was apparently busying herself and her innate curiosity by pouring them both a glass of merlot beside the fridge. Waiting- deciding to plop down onto the sofa- the Kryptonian groaned as she stretched out languidly because it'd become glaringly obvious that Lillian's lexosuit had really given her a workout.
Curling inwards before rubbing at her temples. Kara could feel the tension building between the pair of them ever since the car journey from the party.
Massaging the skin didn't help to dissipate it either- and the night wasn't over, she was wrecked and she knew their would be questions.
So many questions that if she wasn't careful they would be especially hard to answer.
Plus she was certain that Lena kept squinting, and she knew for a fact that she only did that when she's over thinking something.
Which when your a superhero at least, can never ever be a good sign.
Fudge.
Feeling the couch dip beside her whilst still distracted by partial anxiety, Kara's head eventually snapped up to the scent of aromatic dark fruit and so took the glass that was held out towards her by slim delicate fingers.
Smiling softly in thanks, Lena saw and nodded before watching as Kara shuffled backwards into the soothing comfort of the cushions and took a grateful sip- settling her free hand against the buldge of her lower calf.
Kara herself tilted towards Miss Luthor and it was there that she found two green orbs staring fondly- the creases at both sides of her eyes the only lines indicating that something was different. Amiss.
Lena was definitely worried. "You seem tired?'
Kara hummed because essentially she was.
She was just so so tired. Exhausted perhaps and not only with Morgan edge, Reign, Cadmus and the potential for more worldkillers no- hell that itself was a lot to deal with but...
She was tired of pretending, tired of feeling alone and desolate everyday, tired of putting everything and everyone else first before her own happiness, romance and life itself.
She was tired of acting like she was perfectly okay with seeing Mon-El with a wife.
She wasn't.
Furrowed, swallowing- she tried to break away from the tension that lingered between her shoulders, those nasty thoughts and what was likely simmering beneath the surface of her best friend too- attempting to lighten the mood by chuckling and shrugging "it was probably all of that fighting, i'm not usually i'm in the middle of all of that stuff- thats usually Alex's job."
Looking downward towards the swirling glass, fiddling with the handle. She hated lying.Even the little ones.
Wryly Lena retorted "Well Miss Danvers and here's me thinking that you were this brave reporter"
Kara laughed and leaned forward choosing to place her merlot on the table before them- her own counter attack imminent waving her fingers "Ah but i'm pretty new to this... not all of us end up in warzones or writing about the latest natural disaster didn't my boss tell you? i'm writing her latest expose on LCorp again."
Teasing smugly "Oh really? I didn't know."
Glancing sideways grinning slightly "Didn't think you would..." face suddenly neutral in a joke like way before she haughtily announced "Who are you again?"
"Hey! no unfair!" Lena slapped Kara's arm laughing happily until she drew back again and settled- cocking her head in quiet deliberation...
Sobering, the CEO tested the waters taking on a more serious tone "Are you.. sure your okay?" biting her lip "You know you can tell me anything, especially if your not- we can deal with it together, between the two of us."
Sighing- Kara's smile was weak and betraying not quite reaching up to her blue hues like it used too, like it did only a year ago- her brightness dimmed "I-.." hesitating, noting the feel of the brunette as she placed a loving hand onto her knee urging her to continue and so she exhaled, picking at the stray threads of the blanket on the armrest, red- the one she and Mon-El used too-
-uhh.
Looking towards her friend directly. Questioning "Sort of?"
Kara groaned inwardly, that was what she'd landed on?!
Lena didn't look convinced just restless and sympathetic.
Gauging that Kara wasn't going to elaborate Lena instead bit the bullet and said "Why didn't you tell me?"
There it was.
Out In the open- one of the lies, the ones she paints white and holds on the inside, one of the one's she tells herself are okay-because they're the thing that makes lena safe.
But not her emotions. That at the very least she knew and understood.
Insecure the brunette continued "Did you not trust me to keep this a secret nor think I was capable enough of consoling you? I mean-.." reeling herself back in, lowering her voice "-after the past few months and our talk at Catco I thought you'd stopped pushing me away like this and i'm just... a little surprised."
Kara could read between the lines, she was hurt.
Gesturing the CEO said "You were so hurt by his departure, yet this evening you almost seemed blazé upon seeing him at the venue.. it was like you either didn't care or had known for a while, so how long has he been back?"
Kara grimaced- she'd been self absorbed. "Um.. since the week before I left for my friend Barry's wedding. I'm sorry, It's not… I-I do trust you"
Lena seemed to accept the apology. But didn't say a word.
"I think I just got so wrapped up in what was happening I forgot to check in with those around me, I- was stuck, with my emotion, in my own head- and then there was work and the wedding and Alex and I just forgot that I hadn't told you, that I hadn't thought to include you in what had been unfolding in my life."
Lena nodded, satisfied at least with that. "If you needed more time- i've said it before but I'd be more than happy to allow you a sabbatical from Catco to sort all of this out, work things out with Mon-El if you haven't already, deal with your emotions surrounding his absence now that he's here- just take a breather from all of that responsibility."
Kara's face contorted and Lena soon realised she'd said the wrong thing.
"Kara?" Worried, leaning over.
The blonde shook her head, exhaling deeply and wiped at the corners of her cheeks, looking away before any more tears could fall.
Sniffling lightly, voice slightly hoarse but otherwise fine the Kryptonian cleared her throat. "Were not working it out."
Lena's eyes widened- her thoughts leading onto one syllable- Oh.
It got worse.
"I- he, he's married."
Shocked- anger flaring "What?!"
Obviously noticing her sudden brashness.
"No- No Lena it's okay- really."
Erratic and slightly over protective "It's only been nine months Kara! how on earth is any of this okay?!"
Nails gripping her seat "I'm going to flay him with a lead lined surgical kit, one i'll acquire before the next time I lay my eyes on him coming through my balcony door with super-"
Her eyes widened further in horror, dripping with venom "Supergirl"
He was married to Supergirl. Lena was resolutely certain.
Growling "Lena No!"
Lena snapped out of her vaguely maniacal thoughts at how desperate Kara had sounded.
Taking in her expression, realising that of course- Kara would take the kind way out, she only saw the best in people even Supergirl and that Daxamite child. It's why Lena had allowed the reporter to get so close to her in the first place.
Questioning "But if he's married to Supergirl that only begs the question that he might've been sleeping with her whilst he was with yo-"
Kara started howling.
Not crying, but honest to god, laugh out loud howling.
Even though not one lick of this was funny and she had in fact been crying only a few moments ago. Also when Lena still had the impulse to shed a certain someone from any and all organs that may well dangle.
Kara, wheezing uncontrollably- those tears she'd previously held inside were now flowing freely and Lena couldn't help but relax and let that rage melt away and be replaced with an odd sort of laugher too, until eventually she was grinning ear to ear by the time she'd become accustomed to her best friend's chortles.
Calming down- gulping for air like it was fresh water. Kara sighed "Lena, he's- he is married but not to Supergirl. Sure.. she was the one that found him, he works with her now- just like he did before as you've probably- obviously noticed but it's been seven years for him and he had to move on- he married a woman called Imra and she seems nice enough. I just- It's so hard because knowing and feeling that are two different things. I know he's with her and I know that I need to move on, but every time he looks at me, all I remember is a time he'd do that lovingly on a regular basis and it hurts so so bad."
Nodding, feeling terrible that her friend was in pain Lena rubbed at her bicep soothingly choosing to reveal "It was like that with Jack, I knew that I needed to move on, I knew that was what was best for us- but it didn't stop myself from feeling lost and… lonely.
He was the first romantic love i'd had and then when he died-"
Lena wavered skipping over her sentence until "So, I may not have gone through the same thing that both you and Mon-El have, but I do understand… in my own way at least."
Kara looked to Lena lovingly full of appreciation "Thank you."
Choosing a slightly safer topic of conversation Lena took the scientific method because she just had to ask "So how was he able to actually come back here- with all of the lead still in the atmosphere?" Rambling "i'm assuming he found a cure? and by the way do tell me what you actually meant by him being away for seven years because i'm quite certain it's only been around one?"
Oh boy- as it turned out Lena's inquisitive nature paid off, her scientific mind was left reeling with the revelation he'd been time travelling to the 31st century and that 400 years from now it was her company that had also developed the cure.
Looking at the state her best friend was currently in- as Lena sat slack jawed and frozen, Kara just couldn't imagine her reaction if she ever did happen to tell her that the wedding she'd mentioned was well, that it was in a different universe entirely. Let alone half of the stuff she had already known and lived through during her time as an extraterrestrial from another world. Kara thinks- that if she knew, Lena would most certainly have a stroke from the information overload.
Fin.