.
.
As soon as she hangs up the phone with Cat Grant, Kara's eyes well up. Her hands quiver, clasping together in her lap.
There is no mystery here…
You have a secret… and it's obstructing your life…
Yes… yes, Cat's right. She's Kara Danvers and Supergirl at the same, and there's never been a comfortable way of being both.
"Hey, you."
Lena hurries over across the grass, beaming.
A spark of warmth erupts in Kara's chest, and it travels tears rolling down Kara's face. She glances away to dab them away with her fingertips. Lena plops into the rickety, wooden lawn-chair across from her. Kara can hear Lena's pulse heighten.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," Lena says, her grin softening. "C'mon. You're gonna miss Winn dancing to Spice Girls."
Kara nods, looking down through her glasses.
Her damn glasses. They're used like a security blanket against all of the threats looming.
"You go ahead," Kara mumbles. "I think I need another minute."
The air feels cool and dry on Kara's flushed face. She half-expects Lena to go, but Kara's lower lip quivers along with her fingers as Lena's hand seeks hers. "What's wrong, Kara?" Lena asks, her eyebrows furrowing. Rao, she's a vision in her deep purple outfit. Kara nearly stumbled off the curb when they met up, blinking and stammering while greeting Lena. Alex snorted.
"Talk to me. You look like you're waiting for a dentist's appointment instead of celebrating Alex's wedding."
Kara inhales sharply, peering into Lena's eyes paled green and ringed in dark, lined makeup.
"How do you do it, Lena?" she breathes.
Lena frowns a little, studying Kara's astonished expression. "Do what?"
"Make everything feel… right."
The corners of Kara's mouth twitch up, and she hears Lena's blood rushing. It's so noisy. It's reassuring and it's everything. Lena lifts her chin, smiling amused, not letting go of Kara's hand. "I promise it has nothing to do with a magic spell," she quips.
"O-oh," Kara says, breathlessly laughing and flushing. Her eyes feel wet again.
Lena's thumb rubs gently on her knuckles.
Kara swallows.
You have a secret…
Oh…
Kara snaps to attention, her little, blue dress fluttering. She super-speed grabs the projectile hurled in their direction. Lena gasps, also standing. The red roses and cottony-pink peonies and white baby's breath flutter in Kara's hands.
With a wave, Alex strolls off, clutching tightly to Kelly's arm. Their giggles echo.
"Nice catch," Lena declares, her voice strangled.
Kara gazes at the wedding bouquet, holding it up and feeling oddly calm. Full of undeniably fresh clarity. Yes, Kara has secrets. Yes, there's no way to know if revealing Kara Danvers is Supergirl will keep her loved ones safe. Yes, Cat Grant is rarely wrong.
She grimaces, pulling off her eyeglasses.
Screw it.
Lena gives her a baffled look, murmuring Kara's name when Kara presses the huge, flowery bouquet between them.
Kara's lips press clumsily on hers.
Every muscle in Lena tenses.
"I should have said it," Kara murmurs back, their noses flattening up together. Her eyelashes glistening with moisture. "I should have said it so many times when I knew what I felt about you, Lena… but I didn't want our friendship to change. If you knew I was Supergirl… if you knew how much I loved you… I thought I would lose you. I almost did when I told you too late."
She sniffles, Kara's heart thundering.
"Please… please don't say it's too late again."
"I won't," Lena tells her in a whisper, and Kara nearly sags in relief when she buries her hands under Kara's gold braids, loosening them, pulling her in. Her lips, smilingly wide, touch Kara's, opening for another kiss. Dizzyingly hot. Loving.
They can love their lives.
Live them.
Unafraid.
.
.