I do not own the rights to the TV show, the characters, or the music. This is just me writing as a fan.

No copyright infringement intended. Pls don't sue me. :)

Do leave a review if you've enjoyed this chapter. So for this story, I was listening to Kid at Christmas by Calum Scott and Christina Perri followed by Comfortable by Graham and Henrik. Try and listen to those songs while reading this and tell me how you feel.

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# A Quiet Place in Winter

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#Lena's POV

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The snow falls in gentle swirls outside our cottage window. Each flake catches the warm glow from the fireplace, creating tiny sparkles of light that remind me of the way Kara's eyes shine when she's excited about something. And right now, she's practically bouncing on her toes as she arranges marshmallows on a plate next to our steaming cups of hot chocolate, muttering something about the optimal marshmallow-to-chocolate ratio.

"Lena, Lena, you have to come look at this!" She calls out, adjusting her glasses in that endearing way she does when she's excited. I glance up from my laptop - work emails forgotten - to find her pressed against the large bay window like an eager child. The snow has covered everything in sight, transforming the forest around our little cottage into something magical.

I wrap my arms around her waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. She immediately melts back into me with a contented sigh, and I can't help but arch an eyebrow as I watch her sneak yet another marshmallow from the plate.

"Really, darling?" I tease.

"It's for scientific purposes," she protests, mouth full of marshmallow. "I'm conducting very important research on... um... sugar crystallization in cold weather conditions?"

"Ah yes, very scientific," I deadpan, but I can feel my lips curving into a smile. She has that effect on me.

"Remember our first snow together?" she asks, turning slightly to look at me, that familiar crinkle appearing between her eyebrows. "You were working late - again - and I just couldn't wait anymore, and-"

"And you stood outside L-Corp in the middle of a snowstorm," I finish, squeezing her a little tighter. "Because you, and I quote, 'couldn't wait another minute to tell you I'm in love with you, Lena Luthor.'"

"You were worth potentially getting hypothermia for even if technically I can't get it," she grins, but then her expression softens. "You're worth everything."

The fireplace crackles behind us, and I can smell the ridiculous number of pine-scented candles Kara insisted on bringing. "To make it feel more Christmas-y," she'd rambled while packing them, "because everyone knows the smell is like, fifty percent of the whole Christmas experience, and I want this weekend to be perfect because you work too hard and you deserve perfect things and- oh Rao, am I rambling again?"

I lead her to the plush couch we've piled with soft blankets. The cottage isn't large - just a main room with a fireplace, a small kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom - but it's perfect for this weekend away from the city, from our responsibilities, from everything except each other.

Kara settles into the corner of the couch, pulling me down to sit between her legs, my back against her chest. She wraps a blanket around us both, and I feel her press a soft kiss to the top of my head. She's like a furnace behind me, her natural warmth seeping into my perpetually cold bones.

"I love seeing you like this," she murmurs into my hair, running her fingers through it in that way that always makes me feel cherished.

"Like what?" I ask, though part of me still tenses slightly, old insecurities dying hard.

"Just... you," she says softly. "No CEO mask, no walls up. Not Dr. Luthor or Ms. Luthor or any other version you show the world. Just my Lena." She pauses, then adds with a small laugh, "Who, by the way, is still terrible at accepting compliments."

I close my eyes, letting her words wash over me. Before Kara, I never knew I could feel this safe, this loved. "Only with you," I whisper, and I feel her hold me tighter in response.

The snow continues to fall outside, but in here, wrapped in Kara's arms, I've never felt warmer. She starts humming softly - some Christmas song she's been obsessed with lately - occasionally interrupted by her own commentary about how this part reminds her of that time we... and oh, remember when...

"You know what this reminds me of?" she asks suddenly, fidgeting with her glasses again.

"Hmm?"

"That night we spent in your office during the blackout. When the heating went out and we had to share that one thin blanket from your couch. And you tried to convince me you weren't cold even though you were literally shivering, because heaven forbid Lena Luthor admit to being affected by something as mundane as temperature."

I laugh despite myself. "Says the walking space heater who was so worried about me being cold that she nearly exposed her powers by accidentally heating up the entire room."

"Hey!" she protests, poking my side playfully. "I'm a very considerate space heater. Besides, you were doing that thing where you pretend you're fine when you're not, and your lips were turning blue, and you know how I get when you're not taking care of yourself, and-"

I turn my head to look up at her, effectively cutting off her rambling. The love I see in her eyes still takes my breath away, even after all this time. She leans down to kiss me, soft and sweet, tasting of hot chocolate and the approximately dozen marshmallows she's consumed in the last hour.

"I never thought I could have this," I admit quietly when we part, my voice carrying that vulnerability I only ever show her. "This kind of love, this kind of peace. Statistically speaking, given my family history and psychological profile, I should be-"

"Nope," Kara interrupts firmly, shifting us so we're facing each other. "No analyzing your worthiness of love with scientific variables. We've talked about this." Her crinkle is back, but her eyes are soft as she cups my cheek. "You deserve every bit of happiness in the world. And I plan to spend the rest of my life making sure you never doubt that again, even if I have to write it in the sky. Which I totally could, by the way."

A tear escapes down my cheek, and she catches it with her thumb. The gesture is so tender it makes my heart ache in the best possible way. Outside, the snow continues to fall, creating our own private world in this little cottage. The fire casts dancing shadows on the walls, and Kara's eyes reflect the flames, golden and bright and full of love.

"I love you," I tell her, because sometimes the simplest truths are the most important ones, even for someone who typically processes emotions through the lens of quantum physics.

She smiles that brilliant smile that could outshine the sun, adjusting her glasses one more time before pulling me closer. "I love you too. Always and forever, in every universe, in every timeline, in every possible-" she catches herself rambling again and laughs. "Just... always."

We stay like that, tangled together on the couch, watching the snow fall and the fire dance, sharing soft kisses and softer words. Tomorrow we'll have to return to the city, to our jobs and responsibilities, but for now, this moment is ours. Just us, the snow, and a love that feels as vast as the winter sky outside.

And really, even with all my advanced degrees and scientific knowledge, I can't think of a single calculation or theorem that could quantify this kind of happiness.

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# So tell me what you think? Leave a review :)