"Thanks for going back up and grabbing my glasses," I sighed, putting my purse down on the floor beside my teal hutch.
"Can't let Supergirl be seen in normal clothes now, can we?" Lena grinned. "I still have no idea how a pair of glasses fooled me," she admitted, putting her bags down and taking both of our now-empty milkshake take-away cups and throwing them in the trash.
"I've told you, it fooled a lot of people."
"Yes, but I'm not a lot of people, Kara," she walked over towards me, stepping maybe an inch more than what would have been considered appropriate.
"This scar," she breathed, touching it lightly with her pointer finger, "your eyes," she paused, "your voice…" she trailed her finger down my face. "It just all makes sense now. Everything."
Lena looked at me with such love and admiration in her eyes, and I was sure even though she didn't have super-hearing or any other super-senses, she knew the effect she had on me. The tension had always been palpable between us. We both knew it. It wasn't like it was some big secret. We both felt something for the other, and we both knew it. We weren't oblivious. I mean, we might have been at first, but we hadn't been for a long time. I don't know if we were just waiting for the right moment, whatever that was, or were just comfortable in how things were naturally progressing. Granted, things were progressing slower than a sloth moving backward, but they were progressing.
"Let's get you changed and into something comfy, shall we?" the brunette smiled, grabbing my hand with hers and leading me to my own bedroom.
I let go of her hand as we reached the curtain, silently sighing at the loss of contact. I pulled out a couple pairs of pajama bottoms and a couple of shirts. I had this particular long-sleeved shirt that was always my go-to when I was overwhelmed or tired or sad. I grabbed a loose tee for Lena. "Here," I offered, holding the comfy clothes out toward her.
She accepted the offer with a smile before making her way to my bathroom to change. I didn't have the energy to use any super-speed, so I just changed like a normal non-human human. I sighed heavily the moment I felt the fabric of my favorite shirt brush against my skin. I was impenetrable to bullets, and I could withstand heat and cold – at least to a certain point, but that didn't mean I couldn't feel. I actually felt almost too much. For the most part, I had learned to regulate my senses. Still, when I was this overwhelmed or overstimulated, I needed as much comfort as I could get.
By the time Lena came out of the bathroom, I was fully changed and was working on letting my hair down.
"Here," she offered, sitting behind me on the bed, both of our left legs hanging over the edge.
She deftly worked my hair through the hairband, going slowly and gently to make sure it didn't pull.
Lena was one of the few people that knew how sensitive my senses could get when I was already overloaded. The only other person who knew was Alex.
"You have some of the thickest hair," Lena mused.
"You only think that because your hair is rather fine," I smirked.
"True, but …" she paused as the last strands of my hair were free from the hairband. "Your hair is still really thick."
I couldn't see her, but I could tell she was smiling. I could feel her smiling, in a sense. In moments, I felt tender, strong hands in my hair, detangling the waves and grazing my scalp. My eyes fluttered closed, and I hummed my approval.
"Don't stop…" I pleaded, my voice light.
She slowed her movements, and I internally whimpered.
"How about this," she began, resting her head against my shoulder. "Let's grab Buttercup and go over to the couch. I'll put on The Wizard of Oz, and you can lay on my lap, and I'll play with your hair."
That sounded nice.
I nodded complacently. "Okay."
"Okay," she punctuated, kissing the side of my head.
Lena got up off the bed and headed out towards the couch. As she walked the few feet, she took her own hair down and shook it out before combing it with her fingers. I reached over towards the head of the bed, where my honey-brown stuffed bear rested.
I'd never forget the day that Lena found out I had a stuffed bear. We had set a friend-date to go get breakfast at Noonan's. Lena was supposed to pick me up, and we'd walk over together. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and when Lena let herself in, she found me, asleep in my bed, snuggling up to Buttercup. It definitely wasn't something I was prepared to let anyone know – I mean, Alex knew, but Alex was…well, Alex. Lena just called me 'adorable' and since, if I was having a rough time of it, she'd go and get Buttercup.
Lena sat at the end of the couch, blanket in hand, ready to wrap around me. I gave her a shy smile as I sat down. She beamed over at me, lightly taking my glasses in her hands and placing them on the end table next to her. As I curled up to her, shifting to put my head on her lap, she gently collected my hair to ensure I didn't lay on any of it. Once situated, the brunette spread the light blanket out over me; I tucked the edge under my outside arm, holding it and Buttercup to my chest tightly. After pushing 'play' on the remote and adjusting for volume, Lena began running her fingers through my hair and along my forehead – just as promised. The signature lion roar shot a sense of comfort and excitement through me, but as much as I wanted to see Dorothy and her journey in OZ, I couldn't resist the pull of sleep.
I jolted up, forgetting where I was. My brain was swimming, and I started panicking.
"Shhh," the calm voice echoed to me. "You're okay, Kara. You're okay." Tender hands touched my back and my arms lovingly. "You fell asleep. We're at your apartment, on your couch," Lena reassured me, helping me orient myself in time and space.
"I…"
"Shhhh," the brunette cooed.
I put my head in my hands, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. I must have really been out.
"You've been out for about 3 hours," Lena explained, rubbing my back and the back of my hair.
I nodded, working on composing myself. I didn't usually crash. Sleep was a weird thing for me. My body didn't really need sleep as much as it needed to recharge. Sleep wasn't required for my alien physiology – at least not on Earth – however, it was necessary for my mind and my emotional regulation. This is why I didn't often "crash," so when I did, it often took me a good bit of time to orient myself.
Lena was patient as ever with me. She always was. As protective as I was of Lena, she was just as protective of me.
"I slept kinda hard, didn't I?" I finally asked after gathering myself.
Lena smiled softly at me.
"Yes, you did. But you needed it," she emphasized.
I looked over at the television – it definitely wasn't playing the Wizard of OZ anymore.
I scrunched my eyebrows, trying to figure out what was playing to no avail. "What is this?" I asked, trying to get any sense of what I was seeing. "Why are his eyes red?"
Lena chuckled lightly. "It's Lucifer."
"Really?" I asked, glancing back at her.
"I'm telling you, just give it a chance," she smiled, pausing the TV. "You'd probably enjoy it."
"But he's like, the devil…"
"Kara, what do you even know of 'the devil'"?
"I… uh… well, I mean…"
"See," she noted pointedly.
"I just know that he's supposed to be bad," I admitted.
"Just give it a chance. I'm sure you'll actually enjoy it," Lena persuaded, flashing me her signature smile, her eyes studying mine.
"Okay… I give."
"Really? Did I just win this conversation?" Lena asked, bemused.
I rolled my eyes and smirked at her as my stomach growled loudly.
"Ah…there it is," Lena laughed.
"What?"
"You haven't eaten in five minutes…"
"Hey!" I argued. "It's been like four whole hours!"
Lena cackled, nodding her head. "I know, gorgeous, I know."
"Feed me," I pleaded, giving Lena puppy dog eyes.
"I'm going to have to, or your stomach will start eating itself," she teased, kissing the top of my head before getting up off the couch and heading towards my tiny kitchen.
"Do you even buy real food?" she questioned, rummaging through my fridge.
"Mostly snacks," I replied sheepishly, getting up off the couch and taking a seat at one of the barstools at the counter.
"I can see that," she affirmed, shutting my fridge.
"Let's make you a snack now, and then I'll get pizza delivered."
"And potstickers?" I squeaked, a little too excited.
"And potstickers," she promised. "Can't have pizza without potstickers."
As promised, Lena made me a snack – a simple peanut butter and blackberry jam sandwich. I couldn't figure out how she did it; she just made the best. The brunette often told me I was just trying to 'butter her up,' but it was the truth. I couldn't make them as well as she did. It didn't take long for the pizza and potstickers to arrive – Lena had asked one of her assistants to pick some up and deliver them, not wanting or allowing me to fly and get them. "It negates the entire point," she said.
"If you would have told me five years ago that I would be eating pineapple on my pizza…" Lena trailed off, taking a large bite of her second piece.
"It's good, right?"
Lena nodded her head, curling her tongue around a loose strand of cheese, threatening to escape her consumption.
I giggled. I felt so privileged to know the real Lena… not the corporate CEO…the prim and proper, 'all-business philanthropist entrepreneur, but the real Lena. The Lena that let her hair down and didn't care if her makeup was perfect… the Lena that goofed off and giggled and wore her heart on her sleeve – that Lena. It was not a side she showed people. Even our friends…they didn't even see the real her. I was one of a very select few. Granted, Lena had started to trust them more and opened up more to them than she previously had had, but I think aside from Sam and Ruby, I was the only one Lena had opened up to.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what, Kara?" Lena looked over at me, inquisition in her eyes.
"For taking care of me today."
Lena set her empty, pizza grease-lined paper plate down on the coffee table before scooting closer to me in one move. She took my paper plate and set it down beside hers.
"I will always take care of you, Kara," she soothed, taking my hands in hers. "We take care of each other."
Lena pulled me into her tightly and rested back on the couch before turning the new episode of Game of Thrones on.
"I thought you wanted me to watch Lucifer?" I asked, leaning my head back so I could look at her face.
She smiled softly. "Another time. Today's all about you," she punctuated, running her forefinger down the middle of my nose and tapping the tip.
I could feel myself blushing. These interactions had become more and more frequent and natural between us, but they still made me blush. Our gaze lingered on one another for another brief moment – even in the dim light, I could see the flush rise on her cheeks as well. I sighed contently before shifting back towards the TV and cuddling into her for the evening.
I must have fallen asleep again because one moment I was watching Daenerys, and the next Lena was stroking my cheek and calling my name softly, trying to wake me up.
"Again?" I asked sleepily, a bit disappointed in myself.
"You need rest, Kara. This was the plan all along," Lena cooed, helping me sit up. "We need to get you to bed."
I nodded my agreement and stood up.
"I'll take care of cleaning up. You go get ready for bed."
I hummed and padded my way to the bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. When I made it out, I saw Lena was plugging my phone into the charger. She already had Buttercup back in his usual position.
"You leaving?" I asked groggily, secretly hoping she would opt to stay. I walked over to the bed and got in under the covers.
Lena crouched down beside me. "Do you want me to stay?" knowing full well the intent of my question.
I nodded sleepily. "I want cuddles," I blatantly admitted in my sleep-induced stupor.
The brunette chuckled. "Cuddles it is. I'll be right back," she assured, placing a lingering kiss on my forehead before heading to the bathroom herself.
I was thankful I held out on completely crashing back out. When Lena finished in the bathroom, she crossed the room to the other side of the bed before getting in. Her strong arms reached for me, and I scooted myself backward toward her. She laid her head just above mine, wrapping me up in her protective arms. I inhaled deeply, breathing in her natural vanilla-like scent. Her body molded perfectly against mine. Even in my sleepy, exhausted state, I could feel her rushing pulse. Our position was relatively suggestive, but it was also comforting. Regular late-twenty-year-old friends didn't sleep this way, and we both knew that. We knew there was something more between us.
"I've got you," Lena whispered in my ear. "Tomorrow will be better. Sleep now, my Supergirl."