Okay so this story was actually a prompt I received from FeistyMouse for a one shot, and it kinda just didn't stop growing and has now turned into a rather strange little mini story…I do promise to update my one shots with a new actual one shot one day this week, but I wanted to get this out there for you all to see first.
Please note I do not have a beta for this story, all mistakes are my own and I do have dyslexia so cannot always see them myself, so if you see them I would appreciate them being pointed out, so I can come back and change them where possible.
I love reviews like pot-sticker those of you who read Small Problems of The Mind will know this, so please let me know what you think of the story, and this first chapter.
Disclaimers: I do not own supergirl or any of the characters and themes related with the DC comics of TV show, nor do I own any song lyrics used in this piece of writing.
Chapter One: A Special Anniversary
Some people got the real problems
Some people out of luck
Some people think I can solve them
Lord heavens above
Kara groaned as the morning sunrays bounced along her face. She didn't want to get up, she wanted to lie in bed all day and do nothing, but she had to get up. Today was Monday again and she had bills to pay and apartment to pay for that she really enjoyed living in.
Lately it would be safe to say Kara had been in somewhat of a funk, she was down and noticeably so.
Mon-El leaving with his parents like that months ago still stung, she had forgiven him for lying to her, she was willing to give him another chance and he just threw it all back in her face. She should have been used to it from the few guys she had dated before him, but it still hurt just as much as it had done then.
Now though it was worse, usually Alex was there to help her put herself back to together afterwards, but they hadn't been so close lately. Things had been strange and hard for a while now, Kara couldn't remember the last time they had a sister night. The few months Alex kept cancelling on her to do things with Maggie. She was happy that her sister was happy of course she was, but she missed her, and part of her wished that Alex missed her too though she doubted it.
The fact she hadn't seen her sister once outside the DEO in the last three weeks spoke volumes to that effect.
The same could be said of James and Winn as well, their friendship was still tense after the guardian reveal, it wasn't the same and they had been coming over less and less recently, usually they had an excuse or a reason. Last game night they did though, they just didn't show up at all, it wasn't until Kara asked Winn where he was the next day at the DEO that she learnt that they were out doing their guardian gig again and had completely forgotten about game night.
Alex and Maggie had also forgotten about the night as well, Maggie had got them tickets for a concert again and the game night had completely slipped their minds, not that they had been to a game night in the last two months either for one reason or another.
She wasn't mad about it, they apologised, and she has forgiven them. She couldn't stop it from hurting though, and she couldn't stop everything that was happening now making her feel lonely and as though she was on a revolving wheel going through the days one by one for the week to just start over again and for it to all start again.
There was one day that made the week more bearable though, Wednesday nights had become what Kara now labelled Lena nights, no matter how busy Lena was she made time to come over and they would catch up if they hadn't been able to make lunch that week, they would just spend time together and on those nights even though it may only be for a few hours Kara felt less lonely.
It took Kara all of ten minutes to get showered, changed and ready to leave for work stopping briefly at her door to check her mail before leaving for the day, a small parcel by her door catching her attention, "I'm not expecting anything am I?" she asked out loud to herself, something she had been doing more and more recently, trying to fill the silence.
Walking back towards her kitchen Kara dropped the letters on the table before tearing open the package to see what was inside.
She frowned when she saw what was in it, she didn't order this, she had been meaning to for a while wanting to re-watch the series but had kept forgetting to do so.
Inside the package was the full Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVD box set collection, attached to it was a printed note that read;
"I know you have been wanting to re-watch these."
Thank you, Alex! she thought to herself happily, her evening now planned.
She couldn't help the smile that hit her face as placed the box set down on the table and made her way out of the apartment.
Maybe Alex did miss her as much as Kara missed her? Maybe she planned for them to have sister nights again and re-watch the series together. Maybe she had seen how sad Kara has been these last few weeks and was trying to make up not being there.
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Later that morning when Kara entered Noonan's coffee shop to get her usual order the lady behind the desk seemed to be looking out for her and called her right over to the collection point as soon as she walked in through the door.
Finding this strange, Kara raised an eyebrow in response but went over to see what she wanted anyway. Her confusion only grew further when she was handed a coffee and bag with ten doughnuts inside as she got to the counter.
I didn't order these, she thought to herself, wondering why she was being handed the items.
As she looked down at the bag she noticed there was a note attached. The note was on the same printed paper that she had received with the DVD box set this morning, it was also typed in the same font. This time the note said;
"Something sweet for the sweetest girl I know."
As Kara looked back to the counter she found that the lady who handed her the items had already moved away to the next customer. Alex must have paid for the order already for her. Kara was beginning to wonder if she had forgotten something, Alex gave her gifts sometimes, but this was more than one, and Alex was always telling her to eat less sugary foods, so why would she now buy her ten doughnuts?
This day is beginning to get really strange, strange but good, Kara thought to herself as she took a doughnut out of the bag and began to eat it as she made her way out of Noonan's.
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A short while later Kara was walking through the bullpen at CATCO when she heard Snapper's shout of 'ponytail!' sound through the building.
Great, she thought, just when I though this week was going to be a better one than last.
Slowly Kara made her way through to his office, bracing herself for what was likely to be a verbal smackdown of some kind, she was beginning to wonder if he practiced these in front of the mirror every morning.
"Ah, Danvers – good you're here, I need you to go over to L-Corp and get me an exclusive on the new product they are releasing," Snapper said, barely looking up from the desk as he read through an article from another reporter.
Kara cringed slightly as she looked at the article, she felt sorry for the poor reporter that had written it, as it was now covered in more red writing than what she could see typed words, well it least it didn't only happen to her right? Snapper seemed to dislike all his reporters equally if that was anything to go by.
Snapper looked up from the article suddenly and looked at Kara over his glasses, "Was I speaking to myself? You – L-corp now! Get me that exclusive ponytail, sometime today!" he barked going slightly red in the face.
"Right yes- I'll go now" Kara muttered turning on her heel and walking back out of the office and out of the building making her way over to L-Corp.
It wasn't what she was expecting when she walked into work this morning, if anything it was better than what she was expecting, because now at least she had the chance to spend some of her day with her best friend, which was much better than spending the day being yelled at by Snapper.
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Less than twenty minutes later, after she had finished her coffee and all ten doughnuts Kara made her way over to L-Corp and was let up straight away. As she passed by Lena's assistants desk, Jess called her over and handed her a bunch of flowers, at Kara's confused expression she explained that they arrived for her only minutes before.
Kara took the flowers with a grateful, though still confused smile, before making her way into Lena's office.
"Oh- Kara, you shouldn't have..." Lena said with a teasing smirk as she noticed the blonde walk into her office looking down at the bunch of flowers she had been given in confusion.
Kara didn't answer at first, she continued to look down at the gift in her hands the crinkle appearing on her forehead, "...I didn't," she said after some time, "I mean not that I wouldn't, but these are for me, I think?" she continued looking up to see Lena gazing back at her watching her with an amused smile on her face.
"I know Kara, I'm just teasing you, Jess let me know there had been a delivery for you. So, who are they from?" Lena asked, standing from her chair and making her way over to the couch in her office and motioning for Kara to join her.
Slowly Kara began to follow, though she still looked confused as she did, "I'm not sure," she said while taking a seat, as she looked the flowers over she noticed a card, taking it out she read over the note that was inside, printed on the same paper again in the same font, this time the message read;
"Flowers to remind you of your first big story."
"It doesn't say…" Kara continued after reading the note, "…this morning I thought maybe Alex was trying to cheer me up…but flowers are not her style at all, the DVD's yes, the doughnuts maybe if she knew I had been a bit down but now I'm not sure…maybe it's Winn and James? I think maybe they picked up on the fact that they upset me last game night when they didn't show without any word."
Lena smiled as she heard all this, she couldn't help it, Kara was just so adorable when she rambled like this. It amazed her how the reporter managed to talk so much without the need for air becoming an issue. It was truly impressive.
Lena remembered the game night Kara was speaking about, it was the first one that she herself had attended. Kara had been excited to introduce her properly to all her friends, but slowly as the night went on and no one had turned up the excitement faded, and she had started to look forlorn, losing her usual sunny disposition and apologising every few minutes for her friends as she looked more and more upset. Lena had done her best to cheer the blonde up, in the end they ended up watching movies together and eating ice-cream on Kara's couch, but she could tell the usually bubbly blonde was hurt that none of her other friends had shown and that they didn't even have the decency to contact her with at the very least an excuse.
By the end of night Lena had ended up apologising herself, believing and voicing that it could be maybe that she was here, a Luthor being in the mix putting them all off. Kara though had been adamant that was not the case and had insisted that if that was at all true then she didn't know her friends as well as she thought she did.
After Kara had learnt the reasons as to who no one had attended she had made up excuses for them and fed those excuses to Lena at their next lunch, but she could tell the CEO didn't really believe her.
"Well maybe whoever is sending you these gifts has plans to make themselves known later, why not just enjoy what they have in store in the meantime?" Lena suggested softly with a small smile, a hopeful look in her eye that Kara seemed to not notice.
Kara fiddled with her glasses with her spare hand for a moment before allowing a small smile to grace her lips, "I guess," she said, "I mean I am looking forward to watching some Buffy tonight…and those doughnuts were sooo good…and these flowers are really pretty- but, it's just, I thought my friends knew me better," she continued, holding the flowers close the her chest for a moment, "it's nice to be thought of this way, but I enjoy company more you know? I just want to spend time with the people that mean the most to me, like when we have our Wednesday chill out nights and things like that you know?... I love gifts, but I love people, I love my friends more," she finished.
Lena smiled softly, ducking her head down to meet Kara's eyes while placing a hand gently on her knee, "I'm sure whoever is sending you these knows that too, maybe they just want to spoil you a little bit, everyone deserves that once in a while," she said smiling broader as Kara nodded and smiled back at her seemingly some what comforted by her words.
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It was past lunch time when Kara left L-Corp and made her way back to CATCO, after having an impromptu heart to heart with her best friend they had got down to business and Lena had given the reporter an exclusive on her next big protect, with plenty of quotes and information to keep Snapper happy. Which in turn had made Kara happy too, the last thing she wanted was Snapper getting on her back again about not getting enough information, which is what had happened last time she had been sent out for an exclusive. He had threatened to never let her be the one to interview Lena Luthor again, Lena herself put a stop to that by refusing any other CATCO reporters saying she was only comfortable talking to Kara and would only give exclusives to Kara. That had promptly shut Snapper up, he even apologised.
Quickly Kara made her way through to her desk, yes desk, Snapper had finally decided to give her a desk after the last article she had written, he must have been impressed because she was given a chair as well. Either that or he was intimidated by Lena so much that he had decided to be a little bit nicer to Kara in the hopes of getting in the CEO's good books.
As she reached her desk Kara stopped dead in her tracks, not being able to believe what she could see sitting on her desk.
The crinkle appeared on her forehead as she slowly walked up to her desk, walking around it in a circle to check she was seeing things right and not imagining things.
There sat on top of her desk was a small clear round ball shaped bowl with a single goldfish inside, a book on how to care for your new pet fish was placed over the top of the bowl, to stop the fish from jumping out by accident she assumed.
Kara was quiet for a moment as a hand came up to rub her neck, she then adjusted her glasses, lifting them, then placing them back in place again – surely, she had to be seeing things, right? There was not a fish in tank sat on her desk, right?
As she looked closer she could see another note, sitting on top of the book that was on top of the small round tank. The note was printed on the same paper again with the same font, this note read;
"I know you have always wanted a pet, and this little one looked so lonely all on his own, I know you will give him a good home."
Kara stared at the fish in confusion, looking from it to the note still in her hands multiple times, her mouth open and closing much like the fish in the tank.
As she stared at the fish she couldn't help but think it looked familiar, like she had seen it before somewhere else, she then wanted to mentally slap herself for the thought – it was after all a goldfish, she had seen many goldfish before.
Looking behind her, she noticed James coming through the office with some prints in his hands, and called him over, "James? Is this from you?" she asked, questioning her thought process, in her mind it had to be James, with all the gifts she had received it made the most sense, he was the only person she knew who would get her the flowers she had received earlier that she had brought back with her from L-Corp.
"Why would I buy you a fish?" James said in confusion as to firstly why it was here and secondly why she thought it was from him.
Kara shrugged, "I dunno, I guess I just thought all these gifts were from you or Winn trying to say sorry in your own way for last week, you know the DVD's and the order at Noonan's, the flowers and now this?" Kara replied, the ending coming off as more of a question as she realised that it did sound a bit silly.
"Kara, I haven't got you a fish, or any of those things you just mentioned, neither has Winn to my knowledge. We already apologised about last week and you said it was fine, so we assumed that was the end of it," James said, confusion still evident in his voice, "you do know you can't leave that here, right?" he continued pointing to the fish.
Kara nodded, sitting in her seat and looking at the fish in the bowl, "Yeah, I'll- um… take it with me when I go home?" she said, the statement again sounding more like a question as this situation and day only became more confusing for her.
The gifts couldn't be from Alex, and James said they were not from him or Winn, Maggie didn't really know her well enough for all of this, so who was sending them?
"Okay, good- sorry Kara, I have to run," James said, trying to meet her eyes however being unable to as she was still staring at the fish. After a moment as her mind caught up with what James had said she nodded, letting him know that she had hear him.
James offered a small smile before walking away, glancing over his shoulder once more as he left the office noticing that Kara was smiling at the fish as it followed a pencil she was trailing around the outside of the tank.
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Kara groaned as she got to her apartment later that night, it had been a long day, Snapper had been happy with her article after she had handed in the fourth draft, which was better than last time.
That wasn't the reason she was tired though, she was tired as she had to go home without flying today, she had to actually use the bus. There was no way she would have been able to fly home with a fish in its tank, flowers, a large box of expensive looking chocolates, a puppy pyjama gift set, a cheese and wine basket, a fancy looking reporters journal which she had been wanting for a long time and a large adorable looking teddy bear.
The gifts had just kept coming throughout the day, and Kara had been finding it harder and harder to pinpoint who was sending them, at first she had thought maybe it was Eliza after the puppy pyjama's had arrived, she had called her adoptive mother the other night and Eliza had picked up on how upset she was after Alex had ditched yet another sister's night for a date with Maggie. She had called Eliza to ask her and found it that it was not her sending the gifts, she had also text Alex who had no idea what she was talking about either.
She just couldn't figure out who was sending them, and it was making her feel bad as whoever it was, was clearly going to a lot of effort and she had no way of thanking them as she didn't know who it was. The gifts just kept coming with the same little note, on the same paper in the same font but with no name attached.
It was slowly driving her crazy.
Carefully Kara set her new pet fish down on the kitchen table and arranged the rest of the gifts around the table as well, she was impressed with herself at being able to get them all home, the weight hadn't been a problem she was the Girl of Steel after all, it was more so the balancing act that was the problem.
Sighing, Kara ran a hand through her hair, and picked up the puppy pyjama gift set, taking it into her bedroom with the intention of getting changed as they looked very comfy, and then sitting on her couch to demolish the box of chocolates and start watching Buffy while cuddling with her new teddy bear, she was tired and drained, and if honest still a bit upset with her sister and friends and just wanted to relax. She would worry about finding out who her mystery gift giver was tomorrow.
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Two episodes in Kara found herself pausing the DVD again after hearing a knock at the door, she groaned expecting it to be another delivery, she had received one about an hour ago of chocolate dipped strawberries with another note attached saying;
"More sweets for my sweet."
The note had made her blush when she read it, whoever was sending these was giving her more and more compliments with each note that came, as well as becoming more flirtatious- yes, Kara was not clueless she could see what flirting was, especially when it was right in front of her eyes like this.
She didn't bother to check who was at the door with her X-ray vision like she usually would, she simply placed the teddy she had been cuddling on the couch and strolled over to the door slowly, glasses still on, dressed in her new puppy pyjama's and wearing a pair of her favourite purple and black striped fuzzy socks.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see it wasn't a delivery person at her door, "Lena?" she asked, shocked.
"She asks with surprise in her voice…" Lena said smirking as she stood just outside the door, holding a large bag that Kara hopped was filled with pot-stickers when she saw it was from her favourite take away place.
Stepping aside Kara let her best friend into the apartment, "I wasn't really expecting company tonight- um clearly…" Kara replied, gesturing to the pyjamas and her apartment with a blush on her cheeks, as Lena laughed lightly, passing Kara the bag of take out and taking off her coat.
While Lena took of her coat Kara looked to the bag of take out in her hands, noticing something tagged on the side of it – there was a note, printed on the same paper with the same font that read;
"Hope you enjoyed all the gifts, LL."
"It was you!" Kara yelled, causing Lena to look at her with a raised eyebrow, "All the gifts, you sent them? The chocolates, the DVD's, these," she said gesturing to the pyjama's she was wearing, "Fredbert, everything… you sent them all?" she asked, looking confused.
Lena chucked again at the confusion on Kara's face, "I did," she confirmed, placing her jacket on a hook by the door, "I thought I had given myself away at lunch."
"I- why?" Kara asked, not being able to form complete sentences right now, she was trying to wrap her head around why someone would do this for her all day. She could feel emotions welling up inside, emotions she didn't understand.
Turning back to her best friend Lena smiled softly, "Because I wanted to, and you deserve it," she said taking a step closer, "you have been a great friend to me Kara. Today means a lot to me as do you and I wanted to show you that," she continued.
"Today?" Kara said, the crinkle appearing on her forehead as she tried to remember why today was special.
Taking the bag of take-away from Kara, Lena made her way into the kitchen area in search of plates for the food to go on, having spent many nights with Kara eating takeout and watching movies she knew her way around the young reporter's apartment very well, "It was today, one year ago, that you and Clark Kent walked into my office at what then was Luthor-Corp." Lena explained as she took two plate's out of the overhead cupboard "It may not have been the day we really became friends- but, that day has always stood out to me as the day someone saw the real me and liked what they saw."
The apartment was silent for a moment as Kara process what Lena and just said and Lena busied herself taking containers out of the take-away bag.
"I- you – that? Lena!" Kara stuttered out, completely tongue tied, "Oh my R- god! you did all this? I- I had no idea! I'm a horrible friend I didn't even realise the day! And then I was sat in your office earlier being so un-grateful about everything you had done for me- well not that I know it was you- but still!" she continued rambling faster and louder as she got herself worked up, "You're my best friend and I didn't even remember the day we met, yet you put together all these surprises for me which have been amazing, and all I have been doing is getting upset about Winn and James and Alex not wanting to spend time with me!" Kara continued almost on the verge of tears causing Lena to look up from sorting out the takeout in concern.
Her concern grew further, her eyes widening in surprise as Kara let out a sob her hands coming up to cover her face, "I'm a terrible friend…" Kara said as all the emotion that had been building for days finally released and she began to cry in earnest.
"Kara, no- you are an amazing friend…darling come here," Lena cooed, moving around the kitchen table quickly to wrap the crying blonde up in her arms.
With Kara only wearing her fuzzy socks and Lena still wearing her heels it gave the CEO a height advantage meaning that she was able to pull Kara in closely, so the blondes head was resting just under her chin. "Oh Kara, it's okay I promise, you haven't done anything wrong," Lena soothed, resting her chin on top of blonde hair as she spoke while rubbing one hand up and down Kara's back as she cried harder, "it's okay, let is all out."
Somehow Lena managed to move the two of them over to the couch and took a seat with Kara still attached to her side crying softly the whole time.
Comforting another was not something Lena was used to doing, nor something that she had ever tried to do before, but with Kara it was different. It felt almost natural like she somehow knew what she was doing when really, she had no clue. All she knew was that she hated to see Kara upset like this, she had hoped to bring a smile to blonde's face with the gifts she had sent throughout the day, not tears to her eyes.
It took some time but eventually Kara's cries began to die down, her body becoming less tense and more relaxed as she leaned into the CEO's side soaking up the comfort her best friend had just offered her, "I'm so sorry Lena, you must think I am such a mess," Kara said self-consciously, though not yet moving from where she rested against her best friend.
"Not at all, I think you have been long overdue a good cry if that was anything to go by… everyone needs to let go sometimes and let it all out, there is no shame in being human Kara," Lena said softly, her hand still running up and down Kara's back.
Lena's words almost made Kara cry again, as that was the one thing she was not – human.
The one big secret between them that Kara hated, she wished she could tell her best friend who she was, she wished she could be herself, but she knew that Alex and the others would never allow her to do so.
That was the main problem, the main reason she had been so upset these last few days, weeks even.
Her friends were all pulling away from her, they didn't have time for her any more, the only person who had been there for Kara recently was Lena.
When Kara called Lena made herself available, every single time without fail. Whereas getting the others to turn up for a long-prearranged evening seemed impossible at the moment, yet they were the people who were dictating to Kara who she could and could not tell her own secret to.
It didn't seem fair, and it made her feel so lonely sometimes.
It was why the kindness that Lena had just showed her affected her so badly, Lena was going out of her way to make sure Kara didn't feel alone on her bad days, she was going out of her away to make sure Kara knew she appreciated their friendship. It made Kara feel so bad that she had forgotten that today was the day they first met each other last year, and as she thought back on it, she found it impossible to believe all that had only been one year, they had been through a lot in that year.
Kara was so quiet as she sorted through all the thoughts running through her head that Lena thought that she had fallen asleep, until slowly, she lifted her head from its resting place under Lena's chin, "Thank you for this," Kara said motioning around her apartment, "all of it, really. It was so sweet of you to do this, but you really didn't have to."
"I wanted to, as I said you mean a lot to me," Lena reiterated her earlier words, "I have more money than I know what to do with and sometimes I like to use it to spoil the people that I am closest to. Today was the first day we met, and I wanted to find away to show you how much your friendship means to me. I wasn't lying when I told you that I have never had friends or family like you ever before and I never want to lose what we have," she continued, as she lifted a hand to brush away the tear streaks from Kara's face slowly and tenderly. "I need for you to know that before I tell you what I have been psyching myself up to tell you all day," she finished, taking one of Kara's hands in her own afterwards.
Kara sniffled, sitting up a little straighter after noticing how Lena suddenly seemed nervous, squeezing the hand that was in her own, "Is something wrong? You can tell me any thing Lena, you know that, right?" Kara assured, worried for her friend.
Her concern made Lena laugh lightly, running her spare hand through her hair, just moments ago Kara was crying into her shoulder and now she was worried about her. Sometimes she felt like Kara was too good for her and she was just waiting for the reporter to wake up one morning and realise the massive mistake she made in becoming friends with a Luthor.
Taking a deep breath Lena braced her mental before saying what she had been trying to say all day with the gifts and the notes that she had sent, what she had been wanting to say for months, what she had wanted to say ever since Kara's boyfriend had disappeared suddenly.
"Kara, I love you."
