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Lena Luthor had always been the epitome of poise and confidence. She was a successful businesswoman, a genius inventor, a friend with a big heart, an overall extraordinary person. On the outside, she appeared to have it all together, but deep within her, there were fears, traumas, that sometimes would steal her breath and leave her cold and trembling like a defenseless animal lost in the woods. She rarely thought about them anymore these days; years of therapy and self-imposed challenges had helped her manage it. Or so she thought.
The day started like any other. Lena arrived at the tower early, sipping on her usual black coffee while reviewing her agenda for the day. She had meetings lined up at L-Corp later that day, projects to oversee, and decisions to make. She usually felt invigorated by the hustle and bustle of her life, but today something felt different, though she tried to ignore it and keep going moving forward.
Up until now, it was a day like any other, and it lasted up until the moment she stepped into the elevator with Alex Danvers.
“Hey, Lena!” Alex greeted her with a tired smile. “Ready for another busy day?”
“Always,” Lena replied, smiling as she pressed the button for the top floor. “Been up since 5.” The elevator doors slid shut, sealing them in.
“Would point out that’s unhealthy but I only went home after 2am yesterday, so…” Alex laughed.
As the elevator began its ascent, Lena felt a faint shimmer of unease wash over her. She dismissed it, focusing instead on Alex’s chatter about random life stuff she was only now getting used to.
It all truly felt familiar, all part of the routine the CEO had now learned and did almost automatically, but suddenly, the elevator lurched and the lights flickered before everything ground to a halt.
“What happened?” Lena asked, trying to keep her voice steady, though she could feel a creeping tightness in her chest.
“The elevator just stopped,” Alex said, her fingers flying over her phone’s screen. “This is an old building, but J’onn said everything looked fine…”
“A-are we stuck i-in here?” Lena’s voice was shaking now, betraying her calm façade.
“I already asked J’onn to come get it open, and then I’ll call to schedule someone to come check what’s wrong.” Alex said, attempting to maintain her usual calm demeanor upon noticing Lena’s agitation. “It’ll be over in a few minutes.”
Lena stepped back, pressing herself against the cold elevator wall to steady her trembling body. She felt the familiar sensation of panic rising, the walls closing in around her.
“Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale kid…” Alex observed, concern etching her features.
“I-I w-I want Kara…” Lena’s voice was barely above a whisper, her mind racing as she fought to ground herself.
“I can try to call her,” Alex offered, growing more concerned by the second. “You want me to?”
Lena shook her head, feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “I need to get out…” She breathed, gripping her chest as her heart started pounding like a drum in her ears.
“J’onn will get us out very soon,” Alex reassured, trying to remain calm for both of their sakes.
“Alex, I need to get out now, please!” Panic seized Lena completely as her trembling intensified.
“Just a few minutes, I promise...”
Lena shook her head and walked to the doors, hitting her fists against them desperately. “KARA HELP ME PLEASE!”
“Lena, calm down, honey, even if she’s here she can’t hear you because of the lead.” Alex said gently, stepping closer. “Come here…”
“GET ME OUT OF HERE, PLEASE…” Lena sobbed, seeing the walls getting closer and closer by the second, threatening to take both of them out.
“The more you scream, the worse you’ll feel, Lena.” Alex’s voice was steady, trying to bring Lena back, anchor her to reality by laying a comforting hand on her back. “Slow down, I’m right here with you, I promise we’ll be ok.”
Lena didn’t seem to be listening to anything, her breathing was getting worse as she stumbled back, pressing her body harder against the wall, fighting the urge to scream again as she slid down to the floor, pulling her knees up against her chest. She could feel the weight of the elevator pressing down on her, the confined space closing in. “I’m gonna die…”
“You won’t, just breathe with me…” Alex said, her voice soothing as she knelt down. “In and out. You’re okay.”
“I’m sick…” Lena laid her head on her knees. “I can’t do this…”
“Breathe slowly,” Alex lowered her voice and started rubbing slow circles on the CEO’s back. “the nausea will pass when you start calm down.”
Lena tried to focus on Alex’s words, but the fear was overwhelming. “What if we’re stuck here forever?” she asked, her voice trembling on the edge of hysteria.
“We won’t be,” Alex shook her head, still trying to sound reassuring, her voice calm and steady. “J’onn is on his way, he has the tools to open the elevator doors without breaking anything else when the system shuts down.”
But Lena couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. The walls felt like they were closing in more and more by the second, her chest tightening painfully. She closed her eyes, trying to visualize a calm place like she’d learned in therapy all those years ago, but all she could see was the dark, cramped confines of the elevator. “I-I can’t do this-I can’t-I need…”
“Lena,” Alex said softly, “look at me.” Lena raised her head and opened her eyes, meeting Alex’s steady gaze for the first time since this whole hell started. “Focus on me, okay? You’re not alone. I’m right here.”
With every breath Alex took, Lena mirrored her, trying to ground herself in the moment. “What if it takes too long?” she asked, her voice still trembling.
“It won’t.” Alex shook her head.
“We’ll run out of oxygen…” Lena looked away and gripped her hair, a desperate attempt to ground herself.
“We won’t,” Alex replied firmly as she sat down. “You’re going to be okay, I promise.” The director touched Lena’s hand and gently untangle all the hair the brunette was gripping. “Just keep breathing honey, it’s almost over”
Lena nodded, but the panic didn’t fully subside. “I didn’t want to be here,” she confessed, her voice cracking. “I didn’t want to feel like this again.”
Alex moved closer, her expression softening. “You’re stronger than you think, Lena. You’ve handled so much worse than this.”
Lena shook her head. “I thi-I think-I’m gonna be sick…” She used a hand to cover her mouth and tried to close her eyes again.
“Okay…” Alex moved up, gathering Lena’s hair and kneeling next to her again. “it’s ok if you do, it happens, but let’s try to slow down our breathing first…”
Lena shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You don’t understand-I-I thought I could handle it, but I can’t...” She looked over at the redheaded with desperate eyes before looking away again.
Alex’s expression shifted from concern to understanding. “You’re not alone in this. You’ve got me right now, we’ll get out of here together and Kara will be waiting for us outside.”
Lena closed her eyes, the warmth of Alex’s words wrapping around her like a blanket. “Just don’t leave me,” she whispered. “please…”
Alex almost pointed out the fact they’re both stuck and she simply couldn’t go anywhere even if she wanted to, but knew the woman was completely out of it right now and wouldn’t laugh at that so instead, she smiled reassuringly. “I promise I won’t,” She promised, her voice steady and reassuring. “I’m right here.” She laid, letting go of her hair and laying a comforting hand on Lena’s shoulder again as the greenish tone disappeared from her face. “Let’s talk about something else, so the time passes faster?”
Lena shook her head. “I ca-I can’t…”
“Just try for a little bit with me, can I ask a question?” Alex waited until Lena nodded. “What project are you working on at L-Corp?”
Lena took a deep breath, focusing on Alex’s encouraging tone. “I-I’ve been work-ing on a-a… Alex...” She looked up, shaking her head lightly.”
“It’s ok,” Alex smiled. “I can understand you, take your time.”
Lena sighed. “on a new susta-sustainable energy project,” she tried again, her voice still shaky and failing after every few words, but she pushed through. “We’re trying to h-harness solar-hum-solar energy in a-a more efficient way.” She shrugged and closed her eyes. “It’s still in the early stages, bu-but I’m excited about it.”
“That sounds amazing!” Alex exclaimed. “Can you tell me more about it?”
As Lena spoke, she felt the panic easing, though only slightly, but she was thankful for the break and for the familiar warmth of excitement for her work. She described the project in detail, her passion flowing through her words. “We’re using nanotechnology to enhance solar cells. It could revolutionize how we collect and use energy.”
“That’s incredible!” Alex encouraged, her eyes sparkling with interest. “I’d love to see the prototypes when you’re ready to present them.”
Lena nodded. “I could use your input.” She said, feeling a smile tug at her lips.
Alex nodded with a smile. “Feeling any better?”
“Yeah,” Lena blushed and looked down at her lap again. “sorry…”
“It’s ok, just promise me you won’t keep it all bottled up,” Alex replied, her tone serious. “You’re allowed to feel scared, Lena. It doesn’t make you any less strong.”
Lena took a deep, still shaky breath, grateful for Alex’s understanding. “Thank you for helping and for being patient,” she said, her voice steadying. “I really appreciate it.”
“Of course,” Alex replied, her eyes warm. “Now, let’s see if J’oon already arrived.”
Just as she finished her sentence, the elevator jolted, and the lights flickered back to life. Lena’s heart raced as they felt the doors move.
“J’onn?” Alex said, her voice brightening.
“The elevator seems to be slightly bellow this floor so, step back, I’ll open the doors now and help you 2 up.” J’oon said and waited a few seconds before going back to what he was doing.
“See?” Alex turned to Lena with a bright, relieved smile. “You did it, we’re ok!” She helped the brunette up.
Before Lena could respond, the elevator doors slid open, revealing J’onn J’onzz standing outside with a concerned expression.
“Are you two alright?” he asked, his tone serious as he reached down to help one of them.
“We’re fine,” Alex said, stepping out first, nodding at Lena so she’d take J'oon's help. “Just a little shaken.”
Lena nodded as he sat her down. “Thank you.” She sighed deeply, feeling the fresh air wash over her as she stepped into the expansive lobby of the tower, it felt cold against her sweating skin. The feeling of confinement finally starting to evaporate now.
“You should take some time to breathe, Lena,” J’onn advised, his gaze penetrating yet kind. “Just a few minutes, before going back out.”
“I will,” Lena promised, glancing back at the elevator. She could still feel the remnants of panic lingering in her chest. “Thanks.”
“Let’s grab some water,” Alex suggested, looking over at the brunette and reaching out to hold her hand. “You can tell me more about your project if you want.” She said upon noticing that Lena was getting shaky again.
Lena looked down nervously. “I-I want Kara now…” She felt her throat closing up but didn’t want to cry once again. Not yet at least.
“Of course, that’s ok, I was just trying to help so if you need Kara, we’ll go find Kara.” Alex spoke in a reassuring tone again and started leading the way.
“Thank you.”
They went up the stairs and started making their way down a long hallway.
The moment the blonde came into view, Lena ran towards her and started to cry. The sounds of the bustling city outside faded into the background as Lena's frantic footsteps echoed in the dimly lit corridor of the building. Her heart raced, and tears streamed down her cheeks, a torrent of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her once again. "Kara!" she sobbed, collapsing into the warm embrace of her girlfriend.
“Hey…” Kara instinctively hugged Lena, pulling her up as the brunette wrapped a leg around her waist, desperately seeking comfort in the familiar presence. “You’re sweating, what happened?” She tried to ask, but as the woman buried her face in her shoulder with a scared whimper, Kara looked up, confusedly searching her sister's eyes for answers. "What happened?"
“The elevator broke,”
The second these words were said, Lena started shaking even harder and Kara took a step back, running her hand up and down the CEO’s back and trying to look at her face.
“She got really scared and was calling for you but because of the lead on the walls you couldn’t hear and we had to wait for J’oon,” Alex explained.
“So sorry, I was out on Supergirl duty, otherwise I’d have noticed you 2 weren’t around.” Kara looked over at her sister again. “Are you okay?” she asked, gently brushing a strand of hair from Lena's tear-streaked face as the girl whined.
“Yes, I’m alright, it was just about 10 or 15 minutes.” Alex replied, though her voice lacked the conviction of someone who was truly at ease. Now that Lena was already safe in Kara’s arms, everything that had happened was finally catching up with her.
“Are you okay?” Kara pressed, shifting her attention back to Lena, who only tightened her hold on the blonde and cried harder. “She’s claustrophobic,” The hero said to her sister who nodded understandingly, her brows furrowing with sympathy. “She got a lot better at handling it but being actually stuck was probably too much.”
“I imagined that when she turned pale and started to scream, but she’s so stressed out and has been through so much. It could be many things, and I couldn’t actually ask while we were there.” Alex said, her voice dipping into a softer tone as Lena looked up.
“I’m gonna throw up…” The small brunette said, rubbing her eyes. “Sorry…”
“It’s ok.” Kara quickly reassured. “Let’s go to the bathroom…” Her heart sank as she looked down at Lena, who was still trembling in her arms. “I’m here, Lena.” she whispered, rubbing the woman’s back soothingly as they walked. “You’re safe now. I promise you’re safe.”
Lena pulled back slightly, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears. “I thought I was going to die, Kara. I couldn’t breathe…” Lena's voice broke, a pout forming and Kara felt a surge of protectiveness wash over her. “I didn’t want to die, I don’t want to leave you…”
“Shh, it’s okay. You’re okay. I’m right here now. We’re not going anywhere anytime soon.” Kara reassured her, brushing away the tears with her thumb. “You’re so brave. I’m proud of you.” Kara's voice was filled with genuine admiration.
The hero eased Lena down and helped her sit up against the wall. The cold surface provided a small comfort, grounding the brunette in the moment. “If you feel like you need to be sick, let it out, you’ll feel better afterwards.” Kara's tone was gentle, a soft yet worried smile still on her face. “Can I put your hair up? Just in case?” The blonde asked, her hands already moving to gather Lena's hair after she nodded. “Alright, I’ll be very gentle, I promise.”
Alex stayed by the door, just in case one of the girls needed her, and waited. Kara kept speaking softly, filling the heavy silence as best as she could, and it wasn’t long until they heard the sound of heaving.
“There you go, let it all out baby…” Kara’s eyes filled with tears but she kept her reassuring smile as she rubbed her girlfriend’s back. “You’ll feel better very soon…”
As Lena started coughing, she turned to Kara with an exhausted sigh. “W-water…”
“Oh, I’ll-”
“I’ve got it, stay with her.” Alex quickly said and walked to the mini fridge in the opposite corner of the room, grabbing a water bottle and running back to the bathroom door. “Here.”
“Thank you.” Kara took the bottle, opening it and kneeling next to her girlfriend to help her drink.
“Thanks.”
“Wash your mouth first, to get rid of that taste.” The hero instructed. “There, now drink just a little bit until your stomach settles.”
Lena nodded tiredly. “Sorry…”
“You did nothing wrong.” Kara shook her head and stood back up, grabbing a towel and moving to the sink. “I’ll clean up your face now.” She said before running the wet towel down Lena’s cheeks. “I can go look for some clean clothes after.”
“I want to go home…” Lena said, knowing she’d hate herself for wasting a whole day of work later but feeling too exhausted to care right now.
“OK, she never asked to miss work so I think I’ll also take a break to take care of her.” Kara said, worry clear in her tone.
“Of course, let’s go, I'll drive you 2 home cause I don’t think she can handle flying today.”
“I really can’t, thank you.” Lena smiled weakly at Alex.
“Of course.”
Lena sighed as she stood up with Kara’s help. “I’m really sorry, for making you take care of me like that.” She kept her gaze down, focusing on her fidgeting hands. “I’m thankful but really sorry for forcing you to deal with me.”
Alex shook her head. “You don't have to apologize for that, and you didn’t force me, I was glad to help, and know, we can talk about it if you want.” she offered gently as they made their way out.
Lena nodded, taking a deep breath as she tried to fully calm down. “I just... I don’t want to feel like that again. I don’t want to be scared,” she said, her voice still weak but steadier now. “It’s embarrassing and exhausting.”
Kara nodded, her heart aching at Lena’s pale face and overall anxious stance.
Alex reached a hand to touch Lena’s shoulder. “We know, Lena, but being scared is part of life unfortunately, we can work on this though, you can talk to Kelly if you feel like you can any day, but understand it’s normal to get scared.”
“And when you feel scared, you can always come to one of us. We’ll help you.” Kara rubbed the CEO’s back. “We can face it together. You’re not alone anymore.” She spoke firmly. “You’ll never be alone again.”
“I know.” Lena said, her voice small and an honest smile starting to form.
“I’ll always be there for you, no matter what,” Kara said, her eyes shining with sincerity. “I promise.”
As the three of them made their way out of the building, Lena clung to Kara’s side, her grip loosening slightly as they stepped into the sunlight. The warmth enveloped them, and for a moment, Lena felt like she could finally properly breathe again.
“My car is just behind the building.” Alex said and pointed out to where the car was parked.
“Can you sit in the back with me and keep the windows down?” Lena asked shyly.
“Of course, whatever you need.” Kara said as she held the car doors open for the brunette to get in.
“Kara’s place or yours?” Alex asked.
“Kara’s, please.” Lena replied, her eyes already falling close from exhaustion as she leaned against Kara’s side.
“We’ll be there in a few minutes.” Alex said, already starting the car.
“Are you feeling any better?” Kara frowned and looked down when Lena didn’t reply. “She already fell asleep.”
“Poor thing,” Alex glanced over the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of the sleeping woman. “it’s not even 10 yet.”
“Yeah.” Kara sighed in frustration. “Some days are pure shit.”
Luckily for them, the streets were mostly clear and they made it to Kara’s apartment in record time. “We’re here, try to wake her up.”
“Lena?” Kara ran her hand up and down her girlfriend’s arm. “Honey, we’re home.” She felt the woman stir and helped her sit up. “Hey, we’re here, let’s go.”
“Stairs.” Lena managed to say, her voice tired and anxious again.
“I know, don’t worry.” Kara reassured and opened the car door, stepping out before helping Lena out. “We’re using the stairs, you can use the elevator if you-”
“I’m going with you guys.”
Alex interrupted quickly enough Kara could tell her anxiety levels were starting to rise. “Alright.”
As they stepped into the house, Kara turned to Alex. “What actually happened with the elevator anyway?” she asked. “Cause Nia had just went up less than 30 minutes before you 2 arrived and it seemed fine.”
Alex shrugged. “I have no idea, it was working one second and stopped on the next.” She scratched her neck, looking at Lena who was looking anywhere but at her with a guilty expression. “I immediately texted J’oon and he came as fast as he could and was able to get the doors open. I’ll try to find someone to get it checked tomorrow.”
“And how were you feeling?” Kara prodded gently. “Honestly this time.” She said and lead the way to the living room.
“I was honestly worried about her, didn’t had time for anything else.” The director said as she sat down on the armchair. “She turned pale so quickly and then started shaking, then when she started to scream, I knew it was more than just a little nervousness and was trying to remember all my training as a doctor and everything I had learned to help you in order to be able to help her.”
Lena nodded, blushing slightly. “Thank you for helping me.” she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Always,” Alex replied, giving her a reassuring smile. “And you didn’t scare me, I was just worried, don’t apologize for needing help.” She stood back up. “I think I’ll also take the day off, go home and get some rest.”
“Be right back.” Kara kissed Lena’s head and got up to walk towards her sister and walking with her to the kitchen. “Are you really OK now?”
“I am,” Alex nodded, sounding more honest this time. “I’m just really tired and don't think I'll be able to step into an elevator again for a little while.”
“Fair enough.” Kara said and gave Alex a tight hug. “Just call me if you need, okay?”
“Thank you, sis.” Alex hugged her back, sighing softly. “And you can call me if either of you need anything.”
“Thank you.” Kara smiled, opening the front door and waiting until Alex disappeared in the stairs before closing and locking the door. “Is the nausea gone?” She asked as she made the way back to the living room.
“Yeah, I'm-” Lena starter with a head shake.
“Please, don’t apologize.” Kara interrupted. “And don't apologize for apologizing.” She winked.
That got the brunette to laugh a little. “OK, I won’t.” She stood up, going to the kitchen and getting herself a glass of water.
“Wanna eat something?” Kara asked while looking through the cabinets for snacks she apparently had run out of.
Lena shook her head tiredly. “I feel like I'm about to fall asleep standing up actually.”
“Let’s take a little nap then.” Kara closed all the cabinets and went back to Lena’s side.
“We should shower first,” Lena pursed her lips. “I was sweating and hugged you…”
“Sure, we can take a quick shower.” Kara made her way to the bathroom, making sure the water wasn’t too hot and set their towels on top of the sink.
As they stepped into the shower, the warmth enveloped them like a comforting blanket.
Lena leaned against the cool tiles, the water cascading over her, relaxing her achy muscles as Kara gently washed her hair, massaging her scalp.
The steam in the room made it feel like they were in their own little world, away from the chaos of the day, and Lena took a deep, shaky breath in.
“Just breathe, Lena,” Kara said softly. “you’re safe here.”
The brunette nodded, feeling the warmth of the water mixed with Kara’s gentle hands finally wash away the remnants of her panic. “Thank you for being so patient with me.” she murmured, her heart swelling with gratitude.
“Always,” Kara replied, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Lena’s forehead. “Just remember, you’re allowed to be scared, we all are, and I’ll always love you no matter what.”
Lena’s heart fluttered at Kara’s words. “I love you too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the water. “From the moon and back…”
“To the moon and back.” Kara corrected, giggling softly and kissing Lena’s back.
“Yeah…” Lena giggled tiredly. “Sorry, tired.”
“It’s ok.” Kara got started on cleaning herself and washing her hair so they could get out.
After their shower, they wrapped themselves in the towel and Kara lead the way to the bedroom, helping Lena sit down on the bed while she searched their closet for some warm clothes. “Don't fall asleep yet.” She said when Lena laid down on her side of the bed, still wrapped in the towel.
“I’m up…” The brunette barely managed to say before yawning and curling up.
“Here, Let’s get dressed so we can sleep more comfortably.” Kara said while rubbing Lena’s back. “I know you’re tired but we need to get dressed.”
Took a few minutes, but eventually Kara managed to get Lena to sit up and helped her put on the clothes before quickly changing herself and turning back to her girlfriend, who was still sitting up, looking at her with a sleepy smile on her face. “Can I dry your hair or do you want to do it?”
“Do it, please.” Lena said in the quietest voice, exhaustion becoming heavier as the minutes passed.
“Of course.” Kara nodded and went back to the bathroom to grab the hairdryer and a brush. “Sit on my side of the bed babe.”
Lena simply crawled to other side of the bed and sat back down in front of her girlfriend. “Thank you.”
“You want a braid?” Kara asked while gently brushing the CEO’s long hair.
Lena shook her head. “No, it'll give me a headache today.”
“Alright, I’ll just brush and dry it then, so you don’t get sick.” Kara said and tried to do everything quickly, seeing that Lena was almost falling asleep on top of her.
5 minutes later, Kara turned off the hairdryer and threw the brush onto the bed, looking down at Lena who was half asleep against her chest. “Hey,” She touched the woman’s cheek. “What would you like to do now?”
“Take some blankets to the couch so we can fall asleep watching a movie.” Lena rubbed her eyes and yawned.
Kara nodded. “Sounds perfect, let’s do this.” She waited for Lena to sit up and grabbed the blanket from their bed, reaching out her hand to hold Lena’s before they walked to the living room.
In less than 2 minutes they’re settled onto the couch, a cozy blanket draped over them and a random movie playing quietly in the background. Lena leaned against Kara, feeling the warmth of her girlfriend radiating comfort.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Kara asked gently, stroking Lena’s hair.
Lena sighed, her eyes fluttering shut again as she relaxed. “I don’t know. I just… I want to forget about it for now.”
“That’s okay,” Kara reassured. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Just know I’m here for you.” The hero said, kissing the top of Lena’s head. “So are our friends.”
Lena nodded, smiling softly, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. “Can we just stay like this for a while?”
“Of course.” Kara said, wrapping her arms tighter around the CEO to keep her even closer. “Allow yourself to sleep now, I won’t ask anything else.”
As they sat in silence, Lena felt the weight of the world slowly lift off her shoulders. As hard as some days were, with Kara and her friends by her side, she knew she could face anything that came her way.
Not much time passed before Lena felt herself drifting off to sleep. The warmth of the sun filtering through the window, combined with the gentle rhythm of Kara’s heartbeat, lulled her into a state of tranquility that was already feeling like such a distant reality.
Kara used that time to text Andrea to let her know she needed to take a day off, J’oon to tell him Lena was doing better and that her sister was also taking the day off to rest, and finally Alex to check on her. Kelly replied a couple of minutes later, saying that the director was OK, had eaten with her and asked for her to also take the day off and was now deep asleep.
The blonde then turned off her phone, looking down at the sleeping woman in her arms. Her features finally looked relaxed, her heartbeat and breathing calm and steady, hand gripping the bottom of her shirt and a little smile forming, a sign her dreams also weren’t being plagued by the earlier events.
Eventually exhaustion also took the blonde, the TV still playing a movie neither of them had picked but would always prefer over the constant sounds of the city.
When Lena awoke, the sun had dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue throughout the room. She stirred, blinking sleepily as she noticed Kara still holding her, heartbeat calm and steady, eyes focused on the TV. “Kara…”
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Kara smiled, helping the girl sit up. “How are you feeling now?”
Lena stretched, a small smile creeping onto her face. “A lot better.” she sighed happily and rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Thank you for staying with me.”
“Always.” Kara replied, her eyes shining with love.
“What time is it?” Lena asked, looking around for her phone but giving up after a few seconds as Kara picked up hers.
“Almost 6.”
“Oh shit,” Lena sat up with a gasp. “I’ve kept you he-”
“It’s ok, you didn’t,” Kara quickly reassured, hand resting on the brunette’s shoulders. “I also fell asleep right after you, only woke up about half an hour ago.” She explained with a soft smile. “We both cleared needed to rest.”
“Yeah.” Lena nodded. “But you must be starving now.”
The hero’s stomach made itself known, almost immediately, almost as if it could understand what was being said. “I am.” Kara laughed. “Wanna order in?”
“I can cook us something, it'll be faster.” Lena stood up from the couch, stretching once again before walking to the kitchen to get started on their dinner.
About 20 minutes later, Lena announced that the food was ready and heard her girlfriend getting up from the couch.
“Want me to set the table?” Kara asked, already standing behind Lena in the kitchen in less than 5 seconds.
“If you want to, but we can eat while actually watching something today.” Lena turned off the stove and walked to the cabinets to get their plates.
“Oh yeah, we can watch Master Chef!” Kara clapped and jumped in place like an excited child.
“Yeah, we're not watching that.” Lena rolled her eyes shook her head and handed Kara a plate.
“Why?” Kara pouted.
Lena stared at Kara, checking if she was actually expecting an answer. She was. “Well, mostly because you get competitive even though you’re not competing and gets upset-”
“No I don’t!” Kara tried to defend herself, but she knew Lena was right.
“Babe,” Lena touched Kara's face, running her thumb down the hero’s cheek. “Pick a movie or a fun show, please.”
Kara sighed and finally nodded. “Fine.”
“How about I bring out more blankets and our pillows so we can spend the night here?” Kara asked once she was done washing the dishes half an hour later.
“That sounds perfect,” Lena said from the couch, her voice steady and calm, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Kara disappeared for a moment and returned with an armful of blankets and pillows, her eyes shining with that unmistakable spark of care. Together, they made a cozy nest on the living room floor, layers of warmth piled around them like a fort against the outside world.
As they settled into their makeshift forth, Lena felt a sense of contentment wash over her. The panic of the day finally truly gone, replaced by the gentle hum of comfort and love. The movie flickered on the screen, but it was their shared laughter, the way they nudged each other playfully during funny scenes, and the stolen glances between bites of leftover dessert that truly filled the room.
They made random comments about the movie’s plot, teased each other, and occasionally lapsed into comfortable silence—the kind that only exists between people who feel completely safe, a feeling that still seems to be, or feels, completely new to Lena.
Lena eventually laid her head against Kara’s chest, barely believing she was already getting tired again.
Kara looked down and giggled softly. “Sleepy?”
Lena nodded. “Yeah…”
Kara sighed. “Me too.”
“I thought I wouldn't be able to fall asleep at all tonight.” Lena moved up, resting her head on top of her arms on Kara’s stomach. “I'm not really used to taking naps, even more such a long one, don’t know what happened today.”
“Well, having a panic attack eats all of our energy,” The blonde said while brushing Lena’s dark hair behind her ear. “and on top of it there’s also the fact we both work too much and neither of us get anywhere near eight hours of sleep at night, so the second we offered our bodies some rest, it immediately took it and is now trying to make up for all of our sleepless nights.”
“Guess so.” Lena sat up, picking up her phone to check the time. “We still gotta work tomorrow, and probably make up for today in both our jobs, 3 in your case, so I think we should take advantage of the fact we’re already tired and that the city seems to be calm and go to sleep now.”
Kara wasted no time and pulled the blanket over them, lowering the volume on the TV and turning the small lamp beside her off.
Lena laid down and turned to the blonde. “Can you lay on my chest now? I need the pressure.” She smiled shyly.
“Oh yes!” Kara immediately moved closer, resting her head on top of Lena’s chest and closing her eyes with a soft, content smile. “I miss falling asleep hearing your heartbeat so closely.” Sighing, she allowed herself to relax. “Goodnight love.”
“Goodnight baby.” Lena spoke softly, her eyes fluttering close while running her fingers through Kara’s hair.
Lena wrapped an arm around Kara to keep her close, just like Kara always does with her, and with that, they settled into the night. All the weight from the morning had finally lifted, not pushed away, but dissolved by something stronger. Love. Trust. Presence. Things Lena never believed she would ever have in her life and now got constant reminders of it from every side. It was nice, comforting, even more after she started consciously accepting it, and now she could only hope to never lose it again.