Curing More than Cancer

Chapter 11

As Kara starts to calm down some, Lena murmurs in her ear, "What do you need right now, darling?"

"I- I don't know," Kara hiccups. "I don't know."

"Alright, sweetie. We can sit right here." Lena leans her head back to lay eyes on Kara's face. She wipes away some of the tears that she can reach. "We can put on some trash show or move out to the balcony later if you want. If you decide you want something, all you have to do is tell me."

Kara freezes for a brief moment. "I- I should go home."

Lena does her best from letting out a sigh at the switch in behavior. She should have known that was coming. She hardens her voice just slightly; it's still laced with heavy concern and care, but she needs to make sure Kara hears her. "Kara, I will take you home if that is what you really want. But only if that is what you really want. If you are saying this just because you are guessing what I want, I'm not going to do it. If I can provide you with a sliver of comfort, I would do anything in my power to do just that. Do you understand that?"

Kara hides her face further into Lena's body. Kara whispers into Lena's neck, "I- I don't know why you're so good to me, but... thank you, Lee."

"Darling, I'm just being a decent human being. Or at least trying to be. Now, I take it that it means you are staying put?"

Kara sits back. Teary blues look directly into green ones. "You are better than just 'decent,' Lena. You are amazing woman who has quite literally saved me in more ways than one. I- I think I'm entitled to thank you for all you've done for me... Even if you do this with every person you come across that's this big of a mess, I'm so grateful for everything you've done."

For some reason, in the back of Kara's mind, she realizes that it would bother her if Lena has done the same for someone else. She squashes that feeling the moment she realizes that Lena is tearing up. She practically tackles the woman in a tight hug while apologizing for making her cry.

A few beats of silence fills the space before Lena mutters, "I haven't."

"Haven't what?"

"I- I haven't done anything like this before. I just... don't like seeing you hurting."

Kara's heart lightens at the admission. She smiles at the woman and feels a weird feeling expanding in her chest. Kara holds Lena's face in her hands and gently wipes away the tear marks on her cheeks. "For the record, I don't like seeing you hurting either. And I know that you don't blame me, but if there is something I can do to make it up to you or- or take away any of your hurt... well, you'll let me know, won't you?"

Lena's eyes dart away. She bites her lip, and her silence is telling.

"Lena? You would tell me if I could help, wouldn't you?" Kara continue to hold Lena's face, desperate for those green eyes to look at her again. She starts to feel anxious. She starts to realize that Lena wouldn't actually tell her if she needed something. Everything has been Lena comforting her. Any comfort Kara has given her has been incidental or accidental. Kara swears that it feels like a rock just plummeted to her stomach. She knows she sounds desperate, but she doesn't care. "Please? Lena, please. What I need is for you to tell me when you need something. I really need you to do that for me."

Lena's attention snaps right back to the blonde. She gently rests her hand against Kara's as she presses her cheek into that warm palm. She smiles sadly at the woman in front of her. "There is nothing for you to do, sweetie. No one can change the past or what Lex had done."

"That's not," Kara sighs. "I know no one can change what happened. I'm not asking to fix it. I'm asking that you let me know if there is anything I can do to make it better now. I want to be able to support you. I want to be able to do for you what you've done for me. Well, besides the curing my cancer. First off, there is no way I would be ever be able to do that. I'm not that start and barely passed high school chemistry. And secondly, I really hope that you never get cancer. And if I really think about it, thirdly-"