It was late in the night. As the civilians of National city had protected themselves from the war that had raged for the last forty-eight hours, most streets were empty, which added a heaviness in the air.
Sirens could be heard, coming nearer as the seconds passed by.
Supergirl looked all around her, making sure that all her loved ones were safe and sound.
Nia and Brainy hugged each other tightly after spending so much time apart. J'onn had his arm around Alex's shoulders until Kelly stepped closer to them. With a smile, he pulled away, letting the two women fall into each other's arms.
Despite a few scratches here and there, everyone was okay.
Kara sighed with relief, but there was still that painful pressure on her chest that that felt as though it tightened her heart. Which made breathing difficult.
Because the one she wanted to see the most seemed nowhere to be found.
Twenty-four hours had passed since Lena had managed to broadcast to the entire world the truth about Lex. Caught off guard after being outsmarted by his sister, he hadn't gotten the time to run away, and was now back in jail with very little chance to get out this time. Which meant that the world was back to normal.
At least, as normal as possible, Kara thought bitterly.
Leviathan, the biggest threat they had ever faced, had been defeated. Every heroe had played their parts into this.
Mainly Lena, Kara thought. Lena is the greatest hero of this story. Where is she?
Kara leapt into the air and began scanning the city, determined to find her best friend, or her former best friend, Kara wasn't even sure what Lena was for her. Sure, they had teamed up to save the world. Lena hadn't seemed angry with her for a couple of weeks. When she got Lena back in her life, Kara had felt that she could breathe better and her heart started aching less as well. But that didn't mean they were back to being best friends. That didn't mean either that Lena would still want to be part of her life for something that wasn't related to saving the world. Kara's heart ached at the thought. She shook her head, trying to push her fear far down within her. No matter what the future had planned for them, for now, Kara needed to find her, check up on her and making sure that she was all right.
As she hovered in the sky, Kara closed her eyes, trying to find Lena's heartbeat among the other noises surrounding her. When the familiar sound started making its way into her ears, a smile spread on her face as she flew faster. She used her x-ray vision to see through buildings and spotted a figure that she could have recognized between miles.
Lena was leaning against a wall, alone in an empty street. She was looking down to the ground as she was weeping silently. Without her super-hearing, Kara wouldn't have been able to perceive the sobs that escaped her.
The sounds and the sight broke Kara's heart. In not even one second, she landed onto the ground, just in front of Lena. Her first instinct was to step closer to her to give her a hug. But she knew they weren't there yet. Perhaps they even could never be that close. Kara's heart ached at this realization. She breathed out, and took a step back as she joined both of her hands, trying to hold back her need to take Lena in her arms.
Lena sniffled and wiped her cheeks before lifting her face to Kara. Her eyes were red and glistening, and she had an expression that showed how much she had cried.
"You okay?" Kara asked, silently cursing herself for the stupid question when Lena shook slightly her head. "I mean, can I do something to make you feel better?"
"How's everyone?" Lena asked, her voice coming out raspier than usual.
"They're gonna be okay." Kara smiled, stepping slightly closer. "How are you doing, Lena?"
Lena started chewing on her lips and crossed her arms over chest. "Do you want an honest answer?"
Kara nodded her head up and down.
"I feel like shit." Lena let out an humorless laugh.
"I'm sorry," Kara said.
Lena shrugged as if that was no big deal and looked away from Kara.
"What are you doing here?" Kara asked.
Still without looking at Kara, Lena's chin quivered slightly. "I didn't know where to go." she said shakily before looking at Kara and frowning. "How did you find me?"
Kara wasn't sure why, but she felt a blush make its way on her face. "I, um... I followed your heartbeat."
Lena's lips curled in a small smile. "How often do you listen my heart?"
Kara felt the blush of her face deepening. How could she tell Lena that she listened her heartbeat pretty often, not only because she was constantly worried for her safety and wanted to make sure that she was okay, but also because it was the sound that comforted her the most and made her feel that everything would be okay, no matter what was happening.
There was a brief pause in which Kara tried to figure out what to say next.
"Do you want me to take you somewhere?" she finally said.
Lena swallowed thickly. "Will you stay with me?" she spoke quietly.
Kara's face lit up. "Of course."
Lena's lips curled in a slight smile. "Fly us to your loft, Supergirl."
Kara felt weird flutters in her chest. But she also felt that her heart ached less, and she could finally breathe a little better. For the first time, Lena had called her Supergirl without sounding resentful. It gave Kara hope. It made her feel that they would be okay.
She stepped closer to Lena, and protectively wrapped her arms around her. That contact caused shivers to run through every fiber of her being and added more flutters to her chest.
They hadn't been that close in a while. Aside of the physical contacts that had happened accidentally when they were teaming up together to save the world, such as their hands brushing or their shoulders bumping slightly together, they hadn't touched each other in almost a year.
Tears welled up into Kara's eyes. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed feeling Lena's body so close to hers until now. She swallowed thickly, wishing she never had to let go of her.
"You okay?" She heard Lena's voice, taking her out of her thoughts.
Kara blinked a few times to chase away her tears and turned her gaze to Lena. "Yeah. I'm fine." She smiled. "You ready?"
Lena nodded and draped her arms around Kara's shoulders. "Don't drop me, please." She let out a soft chuckle that warmed Kara's heart.
Kara held tighter onto Lena. "Never. I promise." she said, her blue eyes staring deeply into Lena's green ones.
Lena cleared slightly her throat. "Um, can we go?"
Realizing she'd been staring into Lena's eyes for a bit too long, a blush made its way on Kara's face. She shook slightly her head, as if that could chase the blush away. "Yeah." She smiled. "Hold on tight."
Lena did as she'd been told, and held tighter onto Kara, feeling warmth swirl within her for the first time in over a year. Her heart leapt in her chest when she felt Kara securing her hold onto her before they left the ground.
They hovered peacefully. Although Lena usually hated flying, between Kara's arms, she felt that nothing bad could happen to her. She even felt brave enough to look down. A smile swept on her face as she admired the city from up there.
"You all right?" Kara asked, wanting to make sure Lena felt safe.
Lena looked up at Kara, and gave her a beaming smile. "Yeah."
As they floated in the air, their gazes were locked together, until Kara lowered her eyes to Lena's lips that were perfectly painted with a red lipstick. She couldn't help wondering what Lena's lips would feel like on her own, and she swallowed thickly when she realized that it was far from being the first time that a thought like this made its way into her mind without her accord. But that was the first time that she accepted what it could mean.
Lena smiled at her in a way that gave Kara even more desire to connect their lips together. She breathed out and leaned in until she heard a siren blaring through the city. She swallowed thickly and pulled slightly her face away from Lena to look all around her and focus on the sounds her super-hearing could pick up. After making sure that no one needed her help, she spun her attention to the woman she was holding. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt awestruck at Lena's beauty. Again, it wasn't a feeling that was unknown. But after everything they went through, it was as if her heart didn't have the energy anymore to make her keep lying to herself about the true feelings she'd been having for years.
Kara didn't have time to linger on her feelings right now though because they were nearing her loft.
After they entered through the window that she kept open almost all the time, Kara gently made them land onto floor.
As she felt a solid surface underneath her feet after hovering in the sky, Lena let out a laugh.
A genuine laugh that Kara hadn't heard in a while coming from Lena. It made a smile spread across her face as warmth washed over her.
"That's so weird." Lena said, still laughing softly.
Kara furrowed slightly her brow as an amused smile was still stuck on her face. "What?"
"Flying with you. I mean, I've already flown with Supergirl. But knowing the truth now. I don't know... That feels different."
"Is it a good different?"
"Definitely," Lena smiled.
Again, weird flutters that she could understand better the meaning behind them made their way into Kara's heart. "I'm glad to see you smile and hear you laugh again."
A slight blush colored Lena's cheeks as Kara's gaze was deep on her. She cleared her throat and looked away from the blonde. When she looked back to her after a couple of seconds, Kara had traded her suit for a pair of black leggings and a blue top that clutched perfectly her toned body. That view sent out shivers run up and down through Lena's spine. She swallowed thickly, not able to take her eyes off Kara.
"You okay?" Kara asked concerned.
Lena shook slightly her head. "Yeah, I'm just... thirsty. I… um, I mean, can I have something to drink? Something like a very fresh water, please?"
Kara smiled. "Of course. I'll be right back, go make yourself comfortable on the couch." she said, strolling to the kitchen area.
Still not taking her eyes off Kara, Lena stepped closer to the couch and sat down. She started nibbling at her lips nervously, alternating from one to the other. Suddenly she felt anxious that her real feelings for Kara had become obvious. They had barely reconnected, and she wasn't sure that their friendship could survive to another shattering revelation. Although she was pretty sure that Kara had been about to kiss her while they'd flown earlier on. Or maybe that was just her constant daydreams playing tricks on her, Lena couldn't tell for sure.
"Here, a fresh bottle of water for the world's savior." Kara said cheerfully, handing Lena a tiny green bottle.
Lena scoffed, taking the bottle in her hand. "Don't over exaggerate, please."
"Lena," Kara frowned, sitting down beside her.
"I'm no hero." Lena said, taking a sip from her bottle. She felt better since Kara had taken her away from the empty street she'd cried her sorrow in, but she didn't feel that she deserved compliment. Especially coming from the woman seated beside her.
"You saved the world," Kara stated a fact.
"You do that every day, Kara."
"But I never would've been able to broadcast the truth about Lex. If you didn't do what you did, the world would still be upside down."
Lena put down the bottle on the coffee table, and folded her arms over her chest. She didn't look at Kara as she spoke. "I betrayed my own brother. How does that make me a hero?"
"I'm sorry. I haven't thought of it that way." Kara sighed.
"Doesn't matter," Lena shrugged. "Now I'm back to a world in which being a Luthor means being the villain of the story."
"Why did you do it?"
Lena frowned. She spun her head to Kara. "What?"
"Why have you wanted to bring the world back to normal knowing what most people think of anyone who has the last name Luthor?"
"It was the right thing to do. So I put my personal feelings aside to do it."
"See, that what makes you a hero." Kara couldn't help to say. "No matter I much I hate that fact. Heroes often have to make sacrifice in order to see justice done."
"It wasn't really a sacrifice. I couldn't stand to see him being considered a hero after everything he did."
"Why is that so hard for you to admit that you've done something amazing?"
"I don't know," Lena sighed. "Perhaps because I don't feel that I deserve to be praised."
"Yeah. I get that feeling." Kara said.
"What?" Lena spoke, her tone showing her surprise at Kara's declaration.
"Well, heroes or not, everyone makes mistake. We all screw up sometimes. I did mess up a lot, and I've felt what you're feeling right now. For a while, I couldn't stop thinking that no matter how much good I could do for the world, it could never make up for my bad decisions. So I kept blaming myself, until I realized how pointless that was. Eventually, I let go of my guilt, and I moved on with my life trying to be the best version of myself. No matter the mistakes I made or those I'd probably make in the future."
Lena smiled slightly, pondering Kara's words. "I wish I could do that."
"You can, you just have to allow yourself to." Kara smiled brightly in a way that made Lena believe in her words.
"How?"
"Well, you have to forgive and love yourself. If you're struggling to do that on your own, you can lean on someone you love to help you do that."
"I can think of someone I love." Lena said, gazing deeply into Kara's eyes. "But is there still someone who loves me?"
Softly, Kara took Lena's hand in hers and stroked the back of it with her thumb. "There is." She beamed.
Tears welled up into Lena's eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kara."
"For what?"
Lena swallowed thickly. "I've been so awful to you when I found out you were Supergirl. I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I should've been more understanding."
"It's okay, Lena. I don't blame you. It's my fault anyway. I should have told you sooner. And I'm deeply sorry that I didn't."
Lena sighed. "I'm so tired of apologies. Can we stop, please? We both screwed up in this story anyway."
Kara nodded. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds until she cleared her throat. "Are we okay though? I mean, do you really forgive me?"
"Do you forgive me for the way I treated you?"
"I've never been mad at you. I've been heartbroken yes, but never mad."
"Can we have a fresh start?" Lena asked, although she knew that they couldn't have a real fresh start as long as she kept hiding her own secret from Kara.
Not conscious of the turmoil in Lena's heart, Kara answered her question. "I'd love that." she said with enthusiasm.
Lena looked away from Kara, and started chewing at her lips as she wondered if that was the right time to make a shattering revelation that could change everything between them. She swallowed thickly, realizing that there probably never would be a perfect ideal time to tell her best friend that she'd been in love with her for years.
"Are you all right?" Kara asked, unconsciously entwining her fingers with Lena's.
Lena spun her head to Kara. She glanced at their joined hands before looking up. Her heart started racing in her chest. "I need to tell you something, Kara." She breathed out. "I just want you to know that I don't expect anything to change between us. I simply need to get this off my chest before secrets destroy us again. I just need you to know it." She stayed silent, thinking about the best way to say what she had to.
"Lena, whatever it is, you can tell me." Kara smiled, squeezing gently Lena's hand. "We're best friends, right?"
"That's the thing, Kara. You're my best friend, but ever since we became friends I've always wished that you could be more. I fell quickly in love with Kara Danvers, and I've also always had weird complex feelings for Supergirl. At some point I wondered if I was crazy for feeling a such strong attraction for two different women. Then I learned that you were both the same person, and although everything started making sense. It confused me. And the fact that the person I love the most had been dishonest with me broke my heart more than anything. That's why it was so hard for me to get past this. But ultimately, I realized that being without you in my life is more painful than anything I've ever experienced."
Kara's expression was rather blank at Lena's speech. As if she struggled to process what her best friend was trying to tell her.
Lena cleared her throat. "As I said, I don't expect anything to change between us. Having you as friend is already a privilege. I just needed to tell you, because I don't want any secret between us anymore."
Kara's expression changed slightly when she furrowed her brow, but she still stared speechless at her best friend.
Fearing that she might have destroyed their friendship for good, Lena looked down and squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to chase away the tears that were making their way into her eyes.
After long minutes of silence, Lena didn't expect at all to hear the words that escaped Kara's mouth.
"Can I kiss you?" Kara asked after her brain finished processing Lena's declaration.
Lena's eyes flew open and she looked up at Kara. Her heart quickened and her voice got caught in her throat. Unable to utter a word, she nodded her head and gave Kara her silent accord.
Kara smiled as she shifted closer to Lena. And with the deepest gentleness, she put her hands on her best friend's cheeks as she gazed with love into her green eyes.
Lena's breath hitched in anticipation of what was about to come, and her heart missed a beat when Kara finally pressed their lips together in a way that felt even better than any daydream she'd ever had.
At that moment, Kara felt as if the true feelings she'd been trying to hide from herself finally made their way out, allowing her to be with the person her heart had chosen a long time ago.
When oxygen started leaving their lungs, their lips parted and they rested their foreheads together.
Taking both of Lena's hands in hers, Kara pulled slightly away. "Thank you for unlocking my heart."
Lena's lips curled in a smile at the surreal moment she'd just experienced. But a slight confused expression made its way on her face at Kara's words.
Kara gave Lena a beaming smile and slid one of her hands up to bring it to her cheek. "I love you too, Lena Luthor. I think I always did. I was just too scared to admit it to myself. But I'm not afraid anymore. I want you to know it, I'm in love with you, and that's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Lena exhaled at Kara's declaration as slight tears spilled out from her eyes. She'd hoped for something like that to happen. She'd dreamed of it for years. But she'd never thought that it would actually happen. She was pretty sure that nothing could have made her happier. She smiled at Kara through her tears, and gazed at her in a way that was telling how much she loved her better than any words could have done it.
With her beaming smile not fading, Kara caressed softly Lena's cheeks and swept away her tears as their gazes were locked together. For the first time since she couldn't even remember how long, she didn't feel any pressure tightening her chest. Her heart didn't ache anymore, and she wasn't struggling to breathe either. She felt more free than she'd ever been. She closed her eyes when Lena put a hand on her cheek and brushed it softly before connecting their lips.
With Lena's body pressed against hers, and their lips joined together, Kara realized that if being without Lena felt more hurtful than kryptonite, being close to her felt more vital than anything else. It made her silently swear to herself to do everything in her power to always protect Lena and give her the happiness she deserved so much.
When their lips parted, they wrapped their arms around each other in an embrace that felt healing. As if all the suffering they had both endured in their lives had vanished tonight. As if the weight of the past didn't matter anymore.
Although they both knew that their lives wouldn't be a piece of cake, and they were both aware of the fact that they would have a lot of challenges to face in the future. They also knew that they were stronger together.
And even though the future remained unknown, Kara and Lena both could feel in their hearts that as long as they were together, they were exactly right where they belonged. That was something that would never change.
Thanks for reading! :)