When Kara woke up, the first thing she saw was Lena's electric green eyes gazing at her as the girl sported a warm smile that suggested her contentment.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Lena cooed, her voice softer than usual.
Feeling a wave of panic crash over her, Kara sat straight up in the bed and gasped, "It's morning?! I slept all night?!"
Bursting out laughing, Lena told her, "No, honey. I was just kidding."
"That's not funny! The funeral is tomorrow morning. If I missed it— How long have I been asleep anyway?!"
"Only about an hour," the brunette assured her. "You were out."
"I think you were right," Kara sighed. "I was emotionally exhausted."
"Feeling any better?"
Kara nodded, saying, "Much. Plus, you kept me super warm."
"Good," Lena said brightly, fully sitting up in the bed. "I'm glad. A sweetheart like you deserves all the happiness in the world."
A slight blush rising to her cheeks, Kara shook her head in protest and looked away, mumbling, "Hardly."
"Hey!" the green-eyed girl cried. "Don't say that! You're sweeter than a peach cobbler. Don't you dare say you don't deserve happiness."
Biting her lip, the blonde looked up and asked, "You really think so?"
Nodding, Lena assured her, "Totally."
"Then… Then why don't I have any?"
"What do you mean?" the older girl asked, brow furrowing in confusion and concern.
"I mean… I'm… Look, it's stupid. Nevermind. I should go."
But when Kara moved to swing her legs off the bed and put her feet on the floor, Lena grabbed her gently and tugged her back, saying, "Don't. Don't go."
"I really—"
"Kara, please," Lena said, begging her friend. "Don't leave me yet. Just tell me what you're thinking. It doesn't matter what it is. I promise I won't judge you. You can tell me anything."
Hesitating, Kara looked away, then back at Lena before blurting, "I hate myself. I'm worthless. I don't deserve anything. I'm fucking miserable, and I hate my fucking life. You're literally the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I barely know you."
With an encouraging smile, the brunette took Kara's hand and told her, "You know me better than a lot of people do already. No, you don't know everything, but that takes time, right? And I know I've got a lot of walls up. But it sounds like you do too. So… Maybe… Maybe we can stay friends and work on it together?"
Feeling a warm, tingling sensation spread slowly throughout her body, from the inside out, Kara slowly nodded her head, confessing, "I'd really like that. You really are awesome, and it's been absolutely amazing spending time with you."
"Well, thanks," Lena said cheerfully. "And yeah… I'm pretty amazing."
Kara tilted her head in confusion when she noticed something odd: Lena's smile looked incredibly fake. Her confidence was clearly feigned, and the blonde picked up on it immediately.
"Lena…" the girl said carefully, knowing that stepping on emotional glass could hurt them both. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"
The brunette's forced chipper expression fell as she stared at Kara in disbelief. No one had ever been able to see through her that way before. Her smile had always pacified others, and no one had ever questioned her happiness when she faked it. This girl… This girl she'd just met not too long ago… She could sense the lie. And Lena was really good at lying.
Watching the gentleness in Kara's face - her soft, welcoming blue eyes - made Lena start to melt, and after a brief moment of silence, the tension in her muscles started to fade. The walls she'd put up, that she'd just mentioned to Kara moments before, weren't quite crumbling, but the stones were shifting, letting in the tiniest bit of light for Kara to reach through.
"Yeah," was almost all Lena could say. "I really do."
"I'm sorry," the blonde whispered, squeezing Lena's hand, which hadn't yet let hers go. "But honestly, Lena… and I say this as your friend, not as your fan… you're a sweet, funny, intelligent girl who also deserves all the happiness in the world. And I know what I just said isn't going to change how you feel about yourself, because it wouldn't convince me either, but I want you to know that I'd do anything to prove that to you. To prove that you're worth caring for. That you're awesome and fun to be around. You… You make me feel safe."
"I feel the same about you," Lena said quickly, giving her new friend a tight embrace. "Thank you, Kara. I just wish I could return your kindness."
"You have, Lena! You totally have. You might be a brat, but I can tell that you care about me - for whatever odd reason you may have - and that's appreciated more than you know."
"But I want to show you how much you matter to me. I've never had a friend like you."
Pausing briefly, Kara fell deep in thought, and once she finally managed to turn on the lightbulb in her head, she looked into Lena's eyes and asked, "Um… Lena… Maybe you can… I don't want to ask more of you, but…"
"Tell me," Lena spoke firmly, looking at Kara with a demanding gaze to let her know she was serious.
"I know you're super busy and that you've already bailed on stuff for me, but… is there… do you think… that maybe… you could… sort of… um…"
"Kara," the celebrity chastised. "Spit it out. I'll do anything you ask me to."
"Do you think maybe you could go with me to the funeral?"
"Tomorrow morning?" Lena asked. "I'll clear my schedule through lunch right now."
Before Kara could protest her doing so - she was about to say "no, no, don't bail on anything else just for me" - the girl was leaning over towards the nightstand, picking up her phone, and dialing her personal assistant's number. Watching in disbelief as Lena barked orders at her employee and demanded her schedule be cleared, despite arguments that what Lena had on the docket was important, Kara felt bad - and appreciative - for the sacrifice that Lena was making.
"Thank you," she blurted, as soon as Lena ended the call. "Thank you so much."
Without thinking much of it, Kara hugged Lena tightly and didn't let go.
They stayed like that until it got awkward - Lena squeezed tighter when Kara started to shift away - but when they finally let go, Lena looked into Kara's eyes and told her, "You're already such an awesome friend, Kara. Whatever you need, I've got your back, okay?"
Kara nodded, mumbled a quiet, 'thank you,' and wiggled off the bed.
As the two drove back to Kara's place, with Lena finally sobered up, the brunette blasted the music and sang along, fully relaxed as she spent the last few minutes of her day with her friend. As she drove, Lena found herself hating the idea of Kara going back home and not being able to talk to her. In fact, the thought was so incredibly uncomfortable that the brunette simply pretended they were going on their next adventure, until they arrived at their real destination, where Lena felt her heart absolutely crash. The last thing Lena wanted was to be alone again after finding such an amazing, caring new friend who had finally - finally - helped her to feel heard. Really, truly heard. For the first time in… well, ever.
Before the girl could get out of the car when they pulled up at the curb in front of Kara's apartment, Lena tugged Kara into a firm hug and didn't let go.
"Lena," Kara chuckled, unable to stop smiling when the brunette pulled her back in and held her even tighter. "I gotta go."
"Alright, alright," Lena pouted. "But I'll be here bright and early to be your escort."
Laughing harder than she had since before her father had passed as she got out of the car, Kara cackled, "Escort! Who needs an escort? I pick up all the ladies. I don't have to pay for 'em. I'm just that sexy."
"Truth," Lena said, completely dead pan, as she pulled away from the curb, pretending she hadn't picked up on Kara's joke around the innuendo of her word choice.
This left Kara standing dumbfounded on the broken-up, untended sidewalk, staring at the Lamborghini as it drove away. As she watched Lena's hair flowing in the wind like they were in some cheesy Hollywood movie, Kara wondered if she was just being funny or if she'd actually meant what she said. Did Lena really find her sexy? No way, Kara thought. She's gorgeous. Why would she ever look at me like that?
But that night, as she lay in bed, she couldn't help but continue to wonder - and maybe even hope.
By the time the morning rolled around, though - after very few hours of sleep - Kara had pushed the thought from her mind, squashing it with her own insecurities and doubts. They were just friends, and Kara was lucky enough to have that. It was shocking that a star like Lena would ever look at her as more than a fan, but boy was the younger girl grateful for this. After having no one in her life to talk to, Kara finally had someone. And not just any someone; it was someone who genuinely cared about her. Despite doubting her own self-worth, Kara couldn't doubt the look of a sincere, caring nature in Lena's eyes.
All throughout breakfast, after she had managed to push thoughts of 'more' from her mind, Kara thought about what an amazing friend Lena was. As she sat next to her sister eating store brand cereal from a cheap plastic bowl - all the family could afford - Kara absently scrolled through Instagram on her piece-of-shit phone.
After scrolling down past a few boring entries, the blonde found that Lena had posted the night before. The selfie was stunning - perfect make-up and an expensive, flawless outfit - but what surprised Kara was the smile Lena was sporting in the picture. It was bright and intense and real, and her new friend loved it. It was good to see Lena happy. But when Kara read the caption, her eyes went wide.
"A single rose can be my garden… a single friend, my world."
-Leo Buscaglia
Thanks, girly. Can't wait to see you soon.
Heart fluttering, Kara stared down at the screen of the cell phone and ran every possible scenario and explanation for the post through her mind. Still, she found absolutely no other reason than her own friendship that could have explained the post. Lena had been pretty much only with her the past week or so. Who else could she have been referring to?
Did she seriously post on her Instagram about me? For millions of followers to see? Kara wondered in disbelief.
Stunned, she sent Lena a DM as fast as her fingers could type.
KaraTheCareBear: Thank you so much. I can't wait to see you either.
OfficialLenaLuthor: You're the best. Be there in 30.
Positively beaming, Kara went back to her cereal, eating with fervor and excitement that her sister couldn't explain.
"What's up with you?" Alex asked.
"Huh? What?" the blonde replied, looking up with a blank expression.
"Cloud 9 much?" Alex laughed. "You're such a groupie. Do you ever get off her Instagram?"
"Hey! Mind your business!" Kara shouted, covering her phone screen. "Anyway, she's coming to the funeral."
"She what?"
"I invited her… so she's bringing me to the funeral and is staying to support me."
"Wow, um… Are you sure that's a good idea? You barely know her."
"Back off, Alex. You're not Mom."
"Girls!" their mother shouted, appearing in the doorway. "Enough! Be silent or get along. I don't want to hear you bicker the day your father is buried!"
Both girls looked down at their bowls of cereal and went completely silent. They continued to eat until their bowls were empty - house rule - despite no longer feeling hungry, embarrassed by their fighting and feeling for their mother's grief.
Kara waited anxiously for Lena to arrive and rescue her from the intense awkwardness of the household, and when the girl finally arrived, she nearly ran out of the house to greet her.
"Ready to head over?" Lena asked, leaning over to push the door open.
"You brought the good car," Kara commented, forcing a laugh as she climbed in.
"I know you're not ready," Lena sighed. "Sorry. That was a stupid question. No one's ever ready for this kind of thing. I'm an idiot."
"It's okay, Lee," Kara said softly, placing her hand over Lena's, which was resting on the gear shift. "I know what you meant. It's okay."
The use of a nickname caught Lena off guard, and when she looked over at Kara, she looked as surprised as she felt.
"What?" Kara asked, confused by the expression.
"You called me 'Lee.'"
"Sorry?"
"No, I… I kinda like it. No one's ever called me that before."
"Really? I think it's an adorable nickname. It just kinda came out."
"I like it. Keep calling me that," Lena decided out loud, suddenly smiling. "It reminds me that you like me."
"Of course I like you, goober. You're awesome."
Lifting her hand from the gear shift and flipping it over, Lena gave her friend's hand a squeeze.
"You got this," she said softly, obviously referring to the impending funeral. "And I'll be right there the whole time."
With a quick nod, Kara answered, "I know. Thanks, Lee."
"Anytime, hun. I'll always have your back."
Of course, Kara's heart was heavy as they made their way to the funeral home, but the load was lightened by Lena's presence, and she was beyond grateful for that.