Archive of Our Own ^beta

Lena took pride in the fact that she was friends with National City's superhero. Ever since she had found out about Supergirl's real identity, her heart and mind had ventured in all the imaginable emotions: hatred and betrayal, at first, forgiveness and understanding, then. And as much as she wanted to be okay with it all, it still shocked Lena that Kara -with her puppy eyes, the small pout she made whenever Lena didn't agree to have ice cream for dinner- was indeed an alien with out-of-this-world strength. It wasn't something easy to get used to.

However, Lena was starting to get used to being saved by Supergirl. It happened a couple of times per months, as a consequence of Lena being a billionaire and a Luthor. She had been robbed, her penthouse had been broken into, and each time Supergirl -Kara- had been there to save her. The first time, it was simply weird, being protected by her best friend. But as time went by, Lena found herself... enjoying it. Especially when it involved Kara carrying her in her arms. She had, though she was ashamed of this, sometimes summoned Supergirl to her house because she was "sure" she had heard strange noises coming from the hallway. After inspecting the entire building and making sure no one was trying to harm the brunette, Kara some nights decided to stay there and hang out with Lena. 

Everything was going according to Lena's plan: she was in danger -sometimes it was real, sometimes not so much- and Kara came to her rescue, which meant that they spent more time together, which Lena wasn't going to complain about. As much as she had hated Kara in the past, she knew now that this hatred was tied to the fact that she had been falling in love with her best friend ever since they first met. 

One night, however, the plan went awry. 

Lena was walking down the streets towards her apartment. She had spent the night in a quiet restaurant, having dinner on her own because she needed the time to think about... stuff -stuff being her unrequited feelings for her best friend-. As she was strolling, her mind was filled with her thoughts, cramming the room: should she just tell Kara and get it over with? Or maybe remain silent and hope for the best to happen? So immersed was she in her own brain that she was unable to hear the steps rushing towards her from behind. 

Next thing she knew, she had a gun pointed to her head and someone trying to snatch her purse, which she was grasping. Suddenly, the wind blew against her, and there she was: Supergirl, holding the two thieves, who then ran away, leaving their gun abandoned on the concrete floor.

'Super-Kara! How did you know I, I needed you?'

'Hey. I don't know, I guess I just knew?' The lights in the street were dim, but Lena could sense that her friend was blushing for the way in which her head was tilted downwards, her breath catching up to her after the emotion. She smiled as she noticed this.

'Right. Well, thank you for that'.

'Sure, no problem. Do you, uh, want me to give you a ride home? I'm not busy and it'll be a second, you know'.

Lena did know. 

'Sure, yeah'. Kara immediately smiled at her widely, swiping her friend off her feet in a heartbeat.

Being in Kara's arms, Lena felt as if nothing could touch her. Considering the height they were at, the only thing that could in fact touch her was a bird or a plane, probably. But she felt protected and powerful at the same time.  And Lena loved it.

What she did not love, on the other hand, was having Kara's face so close to her, and yet so distant for some reason. She felt this as Kara landed on her balcony, without letting Lena go. They were silent for what seemed to be hours but was only a second. And Lena stared right in front of her, because she could feel the warmth coming from her friend's body and how close her face was, and she knew that if she were to look up, she would find Kara's lips right there, waiting to be kissed. She was determined not to look at her, but it was hard, since the blonde didn't seem willing to drop her anytime soon. Lena could feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest and realised, at the same time, that Kara could hear it too if she wanted to.

'Lena? Are you okay? Do you want me to-'

'No', Lena interrupted her abruptly, not wanting the moment to end. 'I just...'. She looked up now, and Kara was looking down at her, and Lena tried not to think about it, not to let her gaze sit upon those lips, but oh she was so close to her that she could even feel her breath brushing up her skin. Lena felt her cheeks turning red and, in a moment of recklessness, unable to handle the tension, she buried her face in the space in Kara's neck, breathing hot air into her skin. 

Kara chuckled softly at this, caressing her hair as she began to move. Meanwhile, Lena was yelling at herself for being that dumb, for not kissing her, for wanting it so bad, for ruining the moment. She did not notice that her friend was carrying her through the apartment and into her bedroom until she found herself resting against the mattress, covered with a heavy blanket.

'There you go. Do you want me to make you some tea? Or to bring another pillow? Whatever you need'. It was clear Kara thought the brunette was upset about the robbery, even though the younger Luthor had been attacked countless times before. But she could pretend, once more.

'No, don't worry. Thanks for everything, love, you've done more than enough.'

'Is there anything else I can do?' Kara was now sitting by Lena's side, looking worried. 'I can- I can stay over, if you need me to.'

The way she reallocated a strand of her hair behind her ear, how she looked down, as if flustered... maybe her feelings weren't so unrequited, after all, Lena thought to herself for a brief second, before shaking the thought out of her head.

'You don't mind that?' Lena knew she didn't, because Kara loved sleeping at her apartment, but the way they had been so close a few minutes before made it seem different this time.

'Are you kidding me? Of course I don't, I love staying in your fancy house'. Suddenly energized, Kara got up and walked towards Lena's closet, choosing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that she kept there for this type of occasion specifically, picking up a long shirt Lena used as a pyjama when she was feeling down on the way.

Once she was in the bedroom, Kara threw Lena's shirt to her and began to change right there. Lena sat up on the bed and turned to the wall so that she couldn't see Kara taking off her suit and her bare skin right there, in her very own room. She changed clothes rapidly, making sure that the shirt covered her body enough. When she turned back again, she found Kara looking at her for a second before looking down, her hair covering her face.

'I- I wasn't looking, I swear.'

Lena swallowed hard at this, but managed to speak. 'Yeah, it's okay, I know.' She moved back, inviting Kara to the side of the bed where she usually slept.

Kara never had trouble sleeping: in a matter of minutes, her breathing was steady in her chest, her eyes closed and her body facing Lena's. The brunette, on the contrary, failed to keep her eyes closed for more than five seconds. The worst part? She wasn't even thinking about anything in particular; it was as if her mind was blank, but a noise kept forcing her to pay attention to it. And the fact that Kara was facing her so she could see her perfect features asleep only made it harder. Lena could not stop staring at her like some creep, for she never wanted the night to end. She didn't want the morning to come and take Kara from her, for another day to knock at the door and take her best friend away from the apartment. And in spite of everything, she felt calm lying beside her, as though they were drifting on the ocean, alienated from the world.

When the clock showed the number 5 in bright red lights, Lena couldn't take it anymore. Giving up any chance at falling asleep, she got up from the bed, looking back at the blonde before leaving the bedroom, fearing she might disappear. The night was quiet but a breeze came through the window, so she grabbed a heavy reddish coat before heading to the balcony. A soft drizzle was falling from the sky, but she didn't mind it; it was refreshing. Lena rested against the metallic railing, wincing rapidly at the coldness. She stared into the city, the silence allowing her breathing to slow down while the rain kept her conscious. 

'Hey'. Kara's voice was still and low, but it still managed to startle Lena. Her friend was standing at the door, her hair messy from having been profoundly asleep a minute before. She looked stunning, Lena couldn't help but think.

'Kara. Did I wake you?', Lena asked as a gentle smile grew on her face.

The blonde chuckled at this. 'No, don't worry. But what are you doing out here? Couldn't sleep?'

'Yeah, as usual.' Lena moved her body, leaving a space to which Kara then moved.

Kara approached her and looked up, smiling, as she noticed the rain in her face. Lena gazed for a second, taking the view in. Unwittingly, she bit her lower lip. The blonde then turned towards her friend, eliminating the space between them by taking a few steps forward. Looking into Lena's eyes, she took her hand between hers, and her skin was warm against the chilly wind in the balcony.

Lena stopped breathing unconsciously, and Kara laughed suddenly. Confused, the brunette frowned.

'It's just- you know I can hear your heartbeat and your breath, right? That's how I knew you were in trouble earlier, and all the times before. I was listening to your heart to make sure you were okay. And yes, I know how creepy it sounds.' Kara spoke without stopping, letting it all out in a cascade. Lena didn't move, she could feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest now and tried to steady it so that Kara wouldn't notice. But it was useless. 

'I can- I can hear it now, too. You're nervous.' Kara was now almost murmuring her words, and Lena had to lean in to actually grasp the meaning behind it all. She was so still and focused she could feel a wet droplet sliding down her face, but Kara caught it with her finger and, as their skins touched, Lena felt the building had been lit on fire. They were so silent that she thought of how dramatic this seemed, how out of a movie it was, and how she loved every second of it.

Lena sighed deeply, forcing herself to utter at least a word. 'Kara...' she whispered.

'Yes?' she replied, and Lena wanted to punch her for being so dumb, for being so irresistible and for looking so perfect in those silly shorts. It was unnerving. 

But, as if a train had hit her from behind, Lena moved forward and looked up. Screw it, she thought before lifting her faces and joining her lips and Kara's. They didn't hesitate: Kara responded to the kiss quickly, expecting it, meeting every one of Lena's movements. While Lena's hand moved to her friend's waist, Kara placed hers softly on Lena's face, deepening the kiss. The cold rain got between their lips and suddenly it was pouring down and Lena's hair was soaking and sticky, but she didn't care.

Kara lifted Lena up, her strong arms holding her body up while Lena held the blonde's neck so that there would not be an inch of space between their bodies. It was perfect and somewhat messy, but intense. When Kara decided to bit Lena's lower lip -right where she had before-, Lena heard embarrassed how a slight moan escaped her mouth. She broke the kiss and looked down, flustered and red-faced, but Kara was smiling. Allowing herself to look up, Lena steadied herself on Kara's hold by placing her hands on those strong shoulders. But when she looked down for a second, she giggled softly.

'Look down, Kara', she said, pointing at how they were floating in Kara's embrace, the Kryptonian having lifted them off the ground.

'Oh', she murmured as her cheeks turned red, almost matching Lena's coat, which had fallen to the floor. The younger Luthor smiled again, shaking her head before kissing her best friend again in the air.