Lena ran into Kara again the following day, swinging and landing soundlessly on the edge of the building, spotting Kara standing over the opposite side.
"If I didn't know any better I would say you're stalking me." Lena commented, hoping from foundation to foundation to get to the other side of the building.
"I just wanted to check in," Kara said as Lena hopped down to side beside Kara. She was feeling a lot more spry today. "You seem better."
"I had a marginally better day." Lena explained, letting her legs swing. "I've learned that you need to really latch on to days like this."
"Sounds like a heathy way to live." Kara murmured but Lena ignored the sarcastic comment.
"How are you?" she asked.
"Yeah, okay."
"I don't believe you,"
"I don't- it's the anniversary of my parents death today, I've been avoiding everyone."
Lena had noticed, she had received her usual good morning text from Kara but after that there was nothing, which was odd but Lena didn't push, she didn't really have time.
"They know, for the most part. My sister has been calling all day, so has Nia, everyone else texted." Kara sighed, testing her elbows on the wall surrounding the building, covering her face with her hands. "Lena doesn't even know, and I want to tell her but I know she's been through a lot when it comes to parents."
"But you are more comfortable talking to me about it?"
"I guess there is comfort in the anonymity of the mask." Kara murmured. "It's dumb, I know out of anyone Lena will understand most, and she has very quickly became one of my best friends, if not my best friend, I know she will make me feel better, I just don't know how to talk about it."
"I understand," Lena hummed, her stomach churning at the lies. "I'm an orphan."
"You are?"
"My parents were murdered when I was a child." Lena said.
"How do you deal with it?"
"I save peoples lives because I wasn't brave enough to save theirs." Lena stated. "How did it happen?"
"An explosion," Kara whispered. "I was playing outside with my cousin Clark, my entire family was inside. after that we got split up, Clark ended up in Smallville, and I ended up in Midville."
"That's rough."
"I hear the screams sometimes, I see my mothers face, skin melting off, telling me that I didn't do enough, that I could have saved them." Kara's throat wobbled and Lena placed a gloved hand on her shoulder.
"I'm going to give you advice that even I have trouble following but you can't carry the guilt of something that wasn't your fault."
"I know, it is just tough, and I still miss them so much that it hurts. Then a lose myself off and pull away, then I end up feeling so lonely. I don't know how to deal properly so I just don't." Kara released a shaky sigh. "I just - I'm feeling homesick."
"Why don't you take a trip home?"
"Maybe soon," Kara hummed. "I have a few stories going on, and my friend, James is getting sicker, I can't leave right now."
Lena wanted to reply, ask what was wrong with James, but her ears picked up the sound of sirens before she could.
"I have to go," Lena sighed. "But you should talk to someone close to you, Miss Danvers. You sister, Nia, Lena, someone. Because feeling lonely in a crowded room is the worst kind of lonely."
Lena jumped then, swinging to the crime scene.
She wasn't long in the door, stripping off her costume and relaxing on the sofa, when her phone rang.
"Hey, Kara," she greeted.
"My parents died thirteen years ago today,"
"Oh," Lena said, unsure of what else to really say to that. "Do you want to come over?"
"Please," Kara said, her voice thick with emotion.
"Okay, see you soon."
Lena had hot chocolate, snacks and Pinocchio (Kara's favourite) ready to watch by the time Kara arrived. She even had comfortable clothes ready for Kara just in case.
When Lena opened the door to Kara, her face pale and her eyes red rimmed, something shattered in her chest. "Oh, honey," she whispered, pulling Kara against her.
Kara, despite being taller, nestled herself against Lena, her head against her chest, and Lena stroked her hair, planting a kiss on her head. "Why don't you go get comfortable, there are sweats and a hoody on the sofa if you want them, I will go get the hot chocolate and snacks."
When Lena got back to Kara she was dressed in the black joggers and tatters MIT crew neck Lena had left her, her knees pulled up to her chest as she stared at the tv.
"You have Pinocchio waiting," Kara whispered.
"Yeah, I know it's your favourite," Lena commented as she handing Kara hot chocolate. "Marshmallows and nutmeg, just how you like it."
Kara looked touched, accepting the mug from Lena, a soft smile on her lips but it quickly dissolved as her lip quivered, and her eyes welled up.
Lena quickly placed her mug down on the table and rushed to sit, pulling Kara against her.
A sobbed wrecked Kara's body, and it was just such a stark contrast to the sunny girl Lena had become accustomed to that Lena didn't really know what to do other then rub her back and whisper softly against the top of her head until she calmed.
It took almost twenty minutes before Kara could stop herself from sobbing, but she still shook in Lena's arm for a few minutes afterward.
"When I was twelve there was an explosion in my grandma's house," Kara whispered in a broken voice. "It was a gas leak, I was outside with my little cousin, Clark, you met him."
Lena remained quiet, waiting for Kara to become comfortable to continue.
"I could, uh, I could hear screaming, my mom, grandma. Everyone was screaming in pain and I just stood there, staring at the house. I couldn't call the fire department, we didn't have mobile phones back then, but I should have ran to the neighbours or something. But I just stood there, listening to my entire family burn." Kara sounded disconnected, emotionless. "I still have dreams, of my mother, her skin melting off, her eyes foggy white and she tells me it's my fault, I should have done more. And I should have, Lena, but I didn't. I let my family burn."
"You didn't," Lena shook her head. "You were a child, Kara, and I know regardless of what I say to you right now it won't change the fact that you blame yourself, but know that no one else does, including your mother."
"I don't- I never talk about it, I can't, but I wanted to talk about it with you, I needed to talk about it and I didn't feel like I could with anyone else." Kara admitted, cuddling closer and whispering. "I feel safe with you."
Lena's heart stuttered in her chest at that statement.
"You are safe with me," Lena said. "You will always be safe with me."
Kara nodded against her chest.
"Let me start the movie and we can settle in."
Kara was cuddled up to her again as soon as she settled back on the sofa, and Lena wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"I watched my mother die, too." Lena whispered at the beginning credits played.
"You did?"
"Mm, I watched her drown when I was four, and I know I couldn't have saved her, I couldn't even swim, but I've always harboured this guilt over just watching her die."
"Your father?"
"Lionel," Lena explained. "He was having an affair with my mother, they took me in out of guilt."
"I'm sorry,"
"I don't want sympathy, I just want you to know I understand what you are feeling right now, and your feelings are valid."
"Thank you, Lena."
"Don't thank me, I'm always here for you."
Kara dosed off half way through the movie, and Lena let her sleep, her fingers raking through Kara's hair as she read over her note pad of spider-gadget notes that she had sitting on the side table.
Kara slept well into the night, only stirring at a little after three, stretching out her limbs and rubbing her eyes.
She glanced up at Lena, a soft smile pulling on her lips. "Hi," she whispered, her voice thick with sleep.
"Hey, sleeping beauty,"
"Was I out for long?" Kara asked, straightening.
"Six hours, give or take."
"You should have woken me," Kara said guiltily.
"It's okay, I had work notes to look over and make changes to." She said, holding up her note book
"I should head home,"
"You can stay, Kara. It's late," Lena offered.
"Okay," Kara nodded.
"Okay, go get ready for bed."
Kara was already in bed when Lena finished locking up the house, settled on the side she had been commandeering over the past few months.
Lena climbed in, turning on her side to stare at the woman across from her, her face barely visible in the moonlight.
"You look pretty under moonlight." Kara whispered.
"You look pretty in every light." Lena replied and Kara smiled, half of her face hidden by her pillow.
"I know you said I didn't have to thank you but I mean it Lena, thank you for tonight."
"Any time." Lena promised.
"Goodnight, Lena."
"Goodnight, Kara."
—
When Lena woke up Kara was gone, and the smell of pancakes filled her apartment.
Lena got up, making her way to the kitchen to see Kara standing in front of her cooker, her hair mused and her sleeved pulled over her hands as she cooked.
Lena just took the opportunity to watch, like she had so many times before, a soft smile on her face. Kara wasn't humming along to the radio like she usually would, which was odd, but there was something so domestic about this scene that Lena couldn't help the heat that spread across her chest.
She had been there for a few minutes before Kara noticed her, a little smile tugging on her lips, "You're up just in time, I make those zucchini pancakes you like."
Lena groaned in appreciation, sitting at the kitchen island. "You are my favourite person."
Kara looked proud at those words, setting down the stack of three pancakes, accompanied by two poached eggs.
"Do you have anything on today?" Kara asked, sitting down with her own pancakes.
"I have to go into the lab but not for another hour yet," Lena answered. "You?"
"I'm going to go finish my article." Kara looked sheepish them. "I should probably tell you this before the spider does but the other day I went to the museum without telling her and the Black Cat was there she got ahold of me but the spider saved me."
"That's lucky," Lena said. "Please be more careful, if she is offering you help, take it."
"I will," Kara assured.
They finished their food as they talked about their plans for the day, before getting dressed.
"If you're still feeling crap tonight don't hesitate to come over again."
"I will," Kara assured, pulling Lena in for a hug. "See you later."
"Bye, Kara." Lena gave Kara a little squeeze, watching her leave with a soft smile.