Chapter 9
Kara paces through the apartment. It's the middle of the night. After the nausea, fever, and headaches noticeably subsided a few days ago, they were replaced by sweating, inner restlessness, insomnia, and occasional anxiety. The green kryptonite makes Kara so human that at least she can occasionally receive a sedative injection from Lena. Still, her condition is nearly unbearable. She walks out onto the terrace and looks up at the sky. It's a beautiful, clear night. The stars are sharp and distinct. She spots Etamin, the brightest star in the constellation Draco. It's her favorite constellation, one she used to search for on every clear night back on Krypton. When she arrived on Earth, alone, Draco was the only familiar connection to Krypton. Kara takes a deep breath in and out. How she longs to fly high up and feel the calm, letting the cool breeze soothe her skin, which still seems to burn in moments like these. But the green light keeps her grounded. Once, in a weak moment, Kara tried to fly, but she couldn't lift herself even a millimeter off the ground.
She walks back inside, pours herself a glass of ice-cold water, and drinks it in one go. Grabbing the TV remote, she turns it on, immediately putting it on mute as she flips through the channels quickly. Standing up, she turns the TV off again and heads to the fridge. Opening the door, she peers inside. There are leftovers from dinner. She reaches for the container and, with trembling fingers, opens the lid. Cursing softly, Kara drops the container. The tremor that has plagued her withdrawal since day one is relentless. Still cursing, she kneels down and tries to clean up the mess she made in the moonlight. She's just about to stand up when she feels a hand on her shoulder and sees two bare, perfectly manicured feet in her line of sight.
Lena offers Kara her hand and pulls her to her feet. A frown appears on Lena's face, the worry lines on her forehead clearly visible. "Another restless night?" she asks softly. Kara nods, lowering her head. "I didn't mean to wake you, I'm sorry." Lena gently pulls Kara into her arms, holding her close for a few moments. "Do you want a sleeping pill?" she asks after a pause. Kara shakes her head. "They always make me feel so... foggy." They sit down on the couch, and Lena rests a calming hand on Kara's knee, which is bouncing up and down. Lena knows that the past few days have been especially tough for Kara. The worst of the symptoms have eased, but Kara remains agitated. The insomnia and anxiety are draining her, leaving her either exhausted and depressed or overly wired and restless. She spends hours pacing the apartment at night. Nothing seems to help except for sleep aids and sedatives, and Lena doesn't want to give Kara too much of those. One addiction is more than enough; they don't need another. Lena watches as Kara rubs her palms over her skin, as though trying to scrub something off.
"Want to go for a walk?" Lena asks suddenly, catching a disbelieving look from Kara. "Outside? Now?" Kara responds, raising an eyebrow. Lena shrugs. "Why not?" Kara thinks it over. There are countless reasons why they shouldn't. Maybe she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to fly into the cold night in search of red kryptonite. Maybe they'd be attacked, and Kara feels too weak to protect Lena. Plus, it's the middle of the night on a weekday. Lena has to be at work in just a few hours. But, as if reading Kara's thoughts, Lena says, "You've been inside for over a week. Your powers won't come back for at least two more hours. You won't be able to fly away. And I can take tomorrow off. Come on, let's go." With a decisive motion, Lena stands. She's been considering having Kara leave the apartment for days now. Why not now, while the city is asleep and the sun won't recharge Kara's powers too quickly? It could give them a bit more time outside.
Lena is already fully dressed in the doorway when Kara finally stands and follows her. "You're going outside in pajamas?" Kara asks skeptically. Lena grabs Kara by the wrist, pulling her into the elevator, and presses the button for the garage. "Where we're going, no one will see us," she says with a wink, her voice full of playful secrecy.
The drive takes about thirty minutes before Lena parks her Hummer at a quiet street corner. They get out of the car, but Kara hesitates. "Come on, don't be a scaredy-cat," Lena teases, laughing as she steps into the darkness. They walk just a few meters down a deserted path until they reach a crossroads, where Lena takes a left turn. They arrive at a large clearing, where fireflies dance in the silver light of the moon. Kara spots a trail on the edge of the clearing and instinctively reaches for Lena's hand. "Wow," she whispers. Lena smiles, watching Kara's face as it softens in wonder. Wordlessly, they walk a few laps around the clearing, their fingers intertwined.
Eventually, Kara stops, panting slightly. "Sore legs?" Lena asks, her tone sympathetic. Kara nods. Her legs feel as if they're weighed down with lead, even though they've only been walking for about thirty minutes. Lena leads her to the center of the clearing and unrolls the blanket she had grabbed from the car at the last minute. She lies down on her back, patting the spot beside her. Without hesitation, Kara lies down next to her, aligning their bodies so they touch from shoulder to hip and thigh. For a while, they both gaze up at the stars in silence.
After some time, Kara turns onto her side, studying Lena's peaceful face. Lena's eyes are closed, her breaths deep and steady. Kara gently traces a finger over Lena's face, drawing a soft smile from her. Lena opens her eyes and looks at Kara. The stars reflect in Lena's pupils, and Kara feels like she's gazing at the entire universe within them.
"Don't look at me like that," Lena whispers.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm everything. Like I'm your whole world."
"You are my whole world," Kara whispers softly. She leans forward, brushing a featherlight kiss across Lena's full lips.
The kiss quickly deepens, becoming more intense. Kara almost finds herself on top of Lena before Lena, with a graceful movement, switches their positions, now lying above her. Lena's dark brown hair cascades over her shoulders, tickling Kara's face. Kara cups Lena's cheeks in both hands, gently pushing her hair back. "Beautiful," she breathes.
Lena closes the small gap between them, pressing her lips to Kara's again. Kara eagerly parts her lips, allowing Lena's tongue to explore her mouth. The kiss grows more fervent, and they only pull apart when they both need to catch their breath, panting heavily.
"We shouldn't go any further," Kara whispers, searching Lena's face. "It's too soon," Lena agrees, but she can't pull herself away from Kara. Ever since Kara first touched her as Supergirl, Lena had wondered what it would be like not only to be touched but also to touch Kara/Supergirl herself. Until now, that request had always been denied. So, Lena bends down again and kisses Kara's neck, sliding her hands under Kara's sweater, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath her delicate fingertips. Kara closes her eyes and moans as Lena spreads her fingers, placing her hand directly beneath Kara's left breast. Pleased, Lena realizes Kara isn't wearing a bra. She moves downward, starting to kiss the area just above Kara's waistband while letting her hands slide under the sweater to massage Kara's breasts. Kara moans again and pulls Lena up for a passionate kiss. Lena bites Kara's lower lip, soothing the spot immediately with her tongue. "Oh Rao," Kara sighs. Lena kisses her way across Kara's cheeks to her neck, leaving a wet trail from her neck to her ear, where she nibbles on Kara's earlobe. In a smoky voice, she asks, "Do you want me to stop?" while massaging Kara's breast. Kara's response is unintelligible, but Lena is pretty sure Kara doesn't want her to stop. "I thought so," Lena smiles and moves back down. She slips under the sweater Kara is wearing, thankful that it's loose enough to give her plenty of space to lavish attention on Kara's breasts with her mouth. She braces herself on Kara's hands, holding them in place. What unexpected advantages green kryptonite can have. After a while and many loud noises from Kara, Lena emerges from under the sweater. She lies down beside Kara and catches her mouth in a hard kiss. Kara's senses seem to explode as Lena slides a finger under her waistband and directly to her most sensitive spot. Lena raises an eyebrow in surprise. "No panties?" Kara shyly shrugs. Pure desire floods through Kara, her body trembling, pressing her hips into Lena, who happily gives Kara exactly what she craves. A brief plea from Kara is enough, and Lena enters her. "Look at me," Lena commands, and Kara opens her eyes as she comes. She fights hard against it, but eventually, her eyes roll back, and she has to close them to endure the intensity of the orgasm. "I love you," Lena whispers as she caresses Kara's center one last time before withdrawing her fingers. "I love you," Kara murmurs. Lena pulls her into her arms and sets the alarm on her watch for 45 minutes. They can't stay here any longer; otherwise, some early morning walker might find them. And that's a headline Lena really doesn't want to see in the press.
Two hours later, they lie down in bed. Freshly showered and richer by a few orgasms. "How are you feeling?" Lena asks, tracing large circles on Kara's back, who is lying on her side. "Pretty okay. My skin burns a little less after the cold shower."
"That's good."
"Thank you," Kara yawns and finally falls asleep. Lena glances at the clock. She had already sent Jess an email upon their return, letting her know she'd be taking a day off.