A/N: Hey guys! Just wanted to take a second to thank everyone that has taken the time to read/follow/favorite/review my story! This is my first time writing a fanfiction and I really appreciate the support! Hope you enjoy this update!
Kara sat crossed legged on what she now referred to in her head as her side of the bed, watching Lena sleep. After their kiss in Lena's office, the two of them had decided to put aside their disagreement for the night, pick up some food, and head home for a relaxing evening in.
Although Kara was normally very ready to house some takeout, she barely made it halfway through her chicken tikka masala before throwing in the towel. It was almost as if she was too full of emotions to fit in anything else.
The thing that was most concerning to Kara was how easy it was to push aside her concerns about the bomber. Lena made it so hard to concentrate on her fears. Even when, logically, Kara knew the best thing to do would be to stay far away from her until everything was sorted out, emotionally she was simply not willing to do that. It was easy to give in to Lena's point of view when it was what she wanted to believe in herself. When Lena had insisted that they would be safe in her loft, Kara wanted to that to be true so badly.
Sitting there, listening to the soft, steady breathing of the woman that made her heart skip a beat, Kara wondered if she was truly doing the right thing by being there.
"I can practically hear you thinking from here," Lena suddenly said, surprising Kara.
Lena's voice came out in a somewhat sleepy murmur. Opening up one eye, she peeked up at the anxious blonde before closing it again. A lazy smile found her lips before dissipating in favor of a yawn instead. Lena's arms stretched out above her head, her hands resting against the dark wooden backboard for a moment before settling back down along her sides. With a yawn, she opened up both eyes to look up at Kara, her smile returning by the end of it.
Kara smiled back shyly, her hand reaching up to adjust the glasses she had remembered to bring with her the night before. Now that sleeping in Lena's bed was becoming somewhat routine, Kara was getting better at remembering to bring her glasses with her to keep on the bedside table for morning time.
When Kara's hand lowered, Lena reached out and grabbed it.
"Come here," Lena whispered, gently tugging on the blonde's arm.
Happily compiling, Kara leaned forward, using her free hand to keep her balance as she ducked her head down to Lena's, kissing her. The kiss was brief and sweet, but even in that short amount of time Kara could, yet again, feel all of her worries floating away, much like untethered balloons.
Pushing herself back up into a sitting position, she adjusted her glasses once more.
Lena was watching her as she fixed her frames. "Have you ever considered contacts?" she asked, her thumb tracing small circles against the back of Kara's hand as she continued to hold it.
Kara shook her head. "Nope. Not a fan of the idea. I once knew somebody who left their contacts in too long and had to have them surgically removed." Although that wasn't exactly why Kara wouldn't get contacts, the memory still made her wince.
Lena chuckled at Kara's reaction softly, amused. "Such a brave girl, but done in by a pair of contacts."
"Hey, I never said I was brave. But speaking of bravery…" Kara trailed off, her head tilting as she continued looking down at the brunette who was still sprawled out against a small mountain of pillows. Despite feeling entirely at ease at the moment, Kara wanted to make sure to address the elephant in the room before they got so far off topic that the task became harder. "Are you sure you want to stick to your guns about me staying here? Because you won't hurt my feelings if you ask me to go."
Lena sighed, a good natured smile still lingering on her lips. "There is literally nothing that could possibly come out of those oh, so kissable lips of yours that could make me change my mind. Give it up, Miss Danvers. You're staying and that's final."
Kara considered re-raising her concerns, but it was so damn hard to focus on what was bothering her when her mind was distracted by the small circles Lena was still tracing against her skin and the way her silky hair was splayed out across the pillows, framing her beautiful face perfectly. If that wasn't bad enough, Lena had just referred to Kara's lips as being kissable, giving her something else to currently obsess about that had absolutely nothing to do with the bomber.
As much as Kara felt the urge to protect those she loved, she often found it necessary to remind herself that everyone was allowed to make their own decisions in life. Everyone in her inner circle was an adult, fully capable of forming opinions and making choices. Just like the time she discovered that James was Guardian, Kara was going to have to try her best not to give into her over-protective side. If Lena was determined to have Kara stay, then that's what she was going to do.
"For the record…" Kara said finally after a moment of contemplation, "I am only agreeing to this because you're too cute to say no to."
Lena chuckled at the remark, her smile morphing into more of a grin. A lovely sparkle found her eyes and Kara was pleased with herself for being the one to put it there.
"You should be careful with what kind of information you share… I could very well take advantage of what you just told me."
Now Kara was grinning. "Oh, really? I have the distinct feeling that I wouldn't mind that."
"Hmmm, let's put it to the test then. Kiss me."
And kiss her, Kara did. As her lips found Lena's, she could feel the last of her worries float away.
~ooooooo~
"What are you doing standing around, staring into space?"
Kara's fingers ceased their typing, her head popping up over the top of her computer screen. "No, it can't be…" she whispered to herself as she waited to see if she heard more of that all too recognizable voice.
"I know I don't pay you to do that. Move along."
A wide grin formed on Kara's face. Immediately, she pushed her chair back to leave, almost slamming into Snapper with it.
"Do you mind?" Snapper's tone was monotone, as usual, but he sounded even more annoyed than normal.
Turning to face her entirely unamused boss, Kara offered up a small smile and started to take a few tiny steps backwards, being careful not to run into anyone else this time. "Sorry, I just…" Pointing in the direction of the voice, she trailed off. "I'll be right back, promise."
"Don't hurry back," Snapper said dryly, his words falling on deaf ears as Kara headed for an entirely different part of CatCo.
Rounding the corner, Kara walked towards an office she used to spend a lot more time in, only to be met with the sight of a very familiar head of short blonde curls.
"I leave for a couple of months and you go and almost get my pride and joy blown up."
Kara could tell that James was startled by his surprise visitor by the way he shot up from his seat, looking flustered.
"Miss Grant, that was not my fault…"
Power-walking right past a cowering Eve Teschmacher, Kara resisted the urge to tackle hug Cat and instead came to a halt a few foot away.
"Honestly, James…"
Wanting to both say hi to Cat and to throw James a lifeline, Kara piped up. "Miss Grant!"
Cat turned around, Coach sunglasses in hand as she looked for the source of the friendly greeting. Spotting Kara, her icy cool glare gave way to a little bit of warmth.
"Ah, hello Kira. Finally somebody around here that doesn't make me want to fling myself off of the top of this building."
Kara couldn't help but grin at the mispronunciation of her name. For the longest time, she had wondered if Cat truly didn't care to get to know her well enough to say her name properly, but now knew that it was more of a playful nickname than anything. Cat Grant was the type of woman that expressed her feelings about others in a much different way than people were used to.
Unable to contain herself any longer, Kara stepped forward, hugging Cat. At first, the woman stiffened up slightly, but eventually she lifted her free hand and patted Kara twice on the back.
"Okay Kira, it's not like I came back from the dead or anything. It was just a trip to Europe."
Kara released her hold on Cat and took a step back, a smile still on her face. Although she wasn't going to admit it then, she had missed Cat. The office hadn't been the same without her there.
"Are you back for good?" Kara could have been mistaken, but it appeared that all of a sudden the office was very quiet, as if everyone was waiting with bated breath for Cat's answer to her question.
Cat shook her head once. "No."
Again, Kara could have been mistaken, but it sounded like a collective sigh of relief rippled through the office.
"I am back for the foreseeable future, though."
James and the rest of her coworkers may not have been overjoyed over that news, but Kara was pleased to hear that her mentor and friend would be sticking around, at least for a little while.
Cat's head sharply turned to the side, her eyes narrowing as she leveled her gaze at James. "I am here to put some new provisions in place to ensure that CatCo is still standing by the time I leave."
James looked blankly at Cat, seemingly bewildered by the way that she appeared to blame him for the bomb that had been planted.
"You know, it was Kara that the bomber was specifically targeting…" James mumbled, eliciting an indignant look from Kara. Before she could chastise her friend for so carelessly throwing her under the bus, Cat stepped in.
"Yes, but as the temporary head of CatCo, security was your responsibility. Don't blame Kira." Cat moved as she spoke, making her way around to her desk. Pausing by the side of it and plopping her Prada bag down, she tilted her head and stared at James until he got the hint.
Quickly scooping up the report he had been pouring over prior to the interruption, James moved so that he was standing on the opposite side of the desk. Kara took a few steps forward, stopping next to him.
Dropping her sunglasses into her bag, Cat sat down in her chair, a relieved sigh escaping her lips as she settled into it. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, she seemed to be taking it all in. If you asked Kara, it appeared as if she was happy to be back. She knew that Catco would always hold a special place in Cat's heart.
When Cat opened her eyes back up, her expression quickly changed, any sign of the nostalgia she had just been feeling fading away. A brow arched as she regarded the two people standing in front of her. "Don't you both have something else to be doing right now than standing here, basking in my existence?"
"Yes, of course Miss Grant," they both said at the same time, turning around and suddenly scrambling to leave the office.
"So I guess I head back to my old desk?" James asked her as they walked out of the office, his voice low so that only Kara could hear him.
"I don't know, maybe you should ask someone who isn't attracting bombers to the office…" Kara teased, pausing once they were a few yards away from Cat's office to turn and look at James.
James chuckled. "Sorry about that. I don't know what it is about her, but she brings out a whole different side of me."
"Cat Grant brings out a whole different side of everybody, that's part of her charm." Kara shrugged, her thumbs hooking into the small pockets of her skirt as she looked up at her friend. "Are you…upset you won't be the boss anymore? Well, at least for now, while she's back."
James shook his head, not even taking a second to think about his answer. "Noooo, definitely not. I think I prefer being on the ground to being behind a desk anyway. Plus, now with my second job…" he trailed off, glancing from side to side to make sure nobody appeared to be listening in.
"Ah, that's right. It'll be easier to sneak off when everyone isn't looking for you every five minutes because they have a question."
"Exactly."
Kara opened her mouth to say something else, but their conversation was interrupted by a loud, booming voice emanating from Cat's office.
"Miss Teschmacher, where is my latte?! And, when it does appear, this time it better not be colder than the look I get from my ex-husband whenever he's confronted with how much more successful I am than him!"
Kara couldn't help but giggle, although she did cover her mouth in an attempt to stifle the noise. Looking over at James, she whispered through her fingers, "She's baaaaack."
~ooooooo~
Kara pushed her way through the front doors of Catco, stepping outside into the crisp night air. With Cat back, mostly everyone had worked later than they usually did, Kara included.
Pausing outside of the threshold of the building, she looked up into the sky, pleased to see that her view of the moon wasn't obstructed by any pesky clouds. The celestial body in her sights was almost full and was surrounded by twinkling stars.
Even though sometimes it made her homesick, there were many occasions where Kara felt the need to pause and reflect on how amazing the Universe was.
The sound of heels clacking against the pavement pulled Kara from her thoughts, bringing them back to Earth.
"I thought I would find you here."
At the sound of Lena's voice, Kara couldn't help but smile. Turning towards her, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
Lena walked up to Kara, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss before responding. "Well…you see…" Reaching forward, Lena took both of Kara's hands in her own. "I was sitting at home, thinking about you, when I thought to myself… It's silly to sit around and miss somebody when you can just go and see them. So here I am."
Kara could feel herself blushing at Lena's explanation. "You missed me, huh?"
Lena nodded, doing her best to keep her facial expression serious. "Like crazy. And… I have something I wanted to show you."
Kara's head tilted slightly. "Show me?"
Lena nodded again. "Yes, show you." Dropping one of Kara's hands, Lena used the hand she was still holding to tug her in the direction she had come from. In the distance, Kara could see Lena's limousine.
"Do I get a hint?" Kara asked, a little surprised when they reached the limo and kept on walking.
Lena chuckled, glancing over at Kara. "Nope, but you don't need one. Your curiosity will be satisfied in a moment, I promise."
Kara didn't mind the suspense of it. In fact, she didn't really care where exactly Lena took them since they were together. She had the distinct feeling that they could both sit down and watch paint dry together and it would somehow still be insanely enjoyable.
Walking Kara down the rest of the street, Lena finally stopped a few feet from a small cart. The cart smelled strongly of different beverages. Shiny metal basins of various liquids lined the counter. Kara could make out hints of both coffee and tea.
"So, the other day I was at a late business meeting and one of the men there was sipping at the most delicious smelling drink. I, of course, had to be forward and ask him what he was drinking and where he had gotten it from. The man told me about this little cart that only comes out at nighttime and he swore that they have the best apple cider in the whole state."
"Ooooh," Kara exclaimed, smiling at what Lena had just revealed. "I love apple cider. My cousin Clark was adopted and the family that took him in lives on a farm, so I have ample experience with really good cider. My Aunt Martha always makes a huge batch of it for me whenever I tag along during one of Clark's visits."
"Perfect," Lena replied, grinning. "Have you ever had it steamed?"
"Steamed? I can't say I have."
"Well, then let's change that."
Lena closed the gap between them and the cart, not dropping Kara's hand until she went to reach into her pocket to pull out a crisp ten dollar bill. Handing it to the gentleman who was running the cart, she said, "Two steamed apple ciders, please, and keep the change."
Within a few moments, the two women had their drinks and were making their way over to a nearby bench. Taking a seat, they scooted in close to one another. There was only a slight chill in the air, but between the warmth being close to Lena provided and the hot drink currently cradled in her hands, Kara had no complaints. The hand of Lena's not holding onto her drink looped its way around Kara's waist, settling there.
"Your head seemed to be in the clouds when I first walked up to you," Lena remarked. "Anything on your mind?"
Kara shrugged a single shoulder. "Nothing major. I was simply…appreciating the sky." A lofty sigh escaped her as she looked back up at the stars. "I've always loved star-gazing, you know? Ever since I was a kid." Kara looked over at Lena, the only thing more beautiful than the night sky. "How about you?"
Lena nodded. "I used to sneak up onto the roof of the Luthor mansion and sit there for hours, trying to find different constellations. I had a book full of diagrams and everything, for reference. As a kid, for a while I was convinced that I was going to grow up to be an astronaut and get to be amongst the stars one day."
"See, now that sounds like it was a wonderful goal." Kara smiled, letting go of her drink with one hand so that she could tuck her hair behind her ear. "Do you have a favorite constellation?"
"I sure do." Before elaborating, Lena looked up into the sky. Moving the arm that was wrapped around Kara, she shifted over only enough so that she could point up at the stars. Thinking better of it, she lowered her hand and grabbed Kara's instead, lifting it up so that she could guide it to the stars she was going to reference.
Slowly moving their hands, she traced a pattern of stars. "This is Leo, the lion." Lena glanced over at Kara. "Just like me."
Kara's eyes followed the stars Lena had them point at before looking over at her. Their hands dropped, fingers lacing together. Kara was smiling, reflecting on the fact that she had just learned another tidbit about Lena.
"Ah, of course you're a Leo," Kara remarked. "They're brave, passionate, and warm-hearted. You have that written all over you."
"You flatter me, Miss Danvers." Lena leaned in, kissing Kara. This time her lips lingered, the kiss soft and sweet. When it ended, Kara already found herself wanting more.
Moving to go in for another kiss, she suddenly remembered the drink in her hand. Lena had a way of making the rest of the world melt away whenever they were together.
"We should probably try this…" Kara laughed, holding up her cup.
Lena nodded. "I think it's time. It's cooled off a little, so our tongues are likely to be intact afterwards."
Great. Now Kara found herself thinking about Lena's tongue instead of the apple cider currently in her hand. 'Rein yourself in, Danvers…' she thought, forcing herself to focus on her drink instead.
"Okay, wanna take our first sips at the same time?" Kara asked, her voice endearingly eager now that she had collected her thoughts again.
Lena chuckled at the blonde's question. "Sounds good to me. Should we count down?"
"Yes," Kara replied, nodding. "Okay, so… I'll count back from five and then we're good to go. 5… 4… 3… 2…1…"
The two women took a sip at the same time, both of them humming softly at how amazing it tasted. Kara had never had such delicious apple cider in her life, not even at the Kent farm.
"I like it, it's very sweet," Kara gushed, verbally giving the drink her stamp of approval.
"Just like you," Lena replied, a smile on her lips as she lifted her cup for another sip.
Kara blushed before looking back up at the stars, grateful to be able to appreciate such a beautiful night with Lena.