"Wait, Alex... you did what?" Lena was having a hard time believing what Alex had just told her.
"I know it's a lot of information, but that's exactly what we did. We went back in time to keep you from dying."
Alex looked at Kara, she didn't want to tell Lena what that event had done to Kara, the promise of revenge she'd made, the devastation of her heart that made her want to let go of everything she was. She just said that everyone was very shaken by the loss of her and for that reason Supergirl was really happy to see her again, explaining the big blue eyes bathed in tears.
"Is that why Lex showed up here, to take me? My God, I was going to die... there's no way Lex was really going to do this to me... Why did he do this?"
"Well... this has something to do with what Supergirl is going to tell you next, but he said if he couldn't kill her, he was going to kill you and cause her a lifetime of suffering... basically that."
Lena looked into Kara's eyes, as if she knew something the sisters didn't. Somehow Kara knew that Lena knew of her feelings for her, or at least suspected.
"Because of that," Alex continued, "we knew when he would show up, and where. We came in here at dawn and set up the device to capture him... we apologize for that, for the intrusion. And we were watching you, watching from the roof of the building across the street at the exact moment Lex showed up, which is why we showed up so promptly."
"And you, I don't know how, went back in time... to save my life. I'm still shocked by it, this isn't anything..." Lena searched Kara's eyes again.
"I would do anything to save you..." Kara spoke softly, finally giving the air of grace to her voice.
Alex then realized that was her cue. The exchange of looks between Lena and Kara grew more intense, as it had a few times before, and Alex knew what that meant.
"So... I need to take this bottle to the DEO, to keep it in a place that no one will try to get it or even know where it is... director privileges. Lena, like I said, we had a few things to tell you... and now she's the one who's going to tell you everything else." She looked at Kara and nodded. "I'll let you two talk calmly... and alone. I'll be going."
Alex turned to leave but on her way to the door Kara called out to her, causing Alex to turn around again. Kara walked over and hugged her, speaking softly into her ear.
"Thanks, Alex... I don't know what I would do without you. You really saved my life."
"You know I would do anything for you."
Kara looked at Alex and said "I love you" without sound, just mouthing the words, to which Alex responded with a wink and a slight smile before leaving. When she closed the door behind her, Kara turned to Lena. She took a deep breath and walked towards her again. She was still for a few moments without being able to look into Lena's eyes, she was really nervous, so she started walking around in front of Lena, who was still sitting on the big white sofa.
"Well, I... uh... like Alex said, I do have two things I'd really like to talk to you about, Lena. And neither one is very easy to say, as it involves opening myself up and making myself vulnerable. ... and it freaks me out. And the truth is, I don't even know where to start." Kara smiled nervously.
"You can start by sitting here with me, before you rip a hole in my carpet walking around like this."
Lena tried to calm Kara down, trying to sound as relaxed as possible in that comment, but Kara looked at her without seeming to hear and kept pacing back and forth, searching for words.
"The first thing I want to say is something that it's already past time for me to tell you. The other thing too, but let's go in parts... You've already proved to be more than reliable, a great friend, committed to our causes for good, you saved me several times. First of all, I wanted to say that it's been a long time since I wanted to tell you this, but I chickened out every time... I think it's time to tell you... my true identity."
Lena smiled at Kara, showing a calmness that startled her.
"But I already know who you are... Kara."
Kara's blue eyes widened in amazement. She didn't expect that.
"What? You... but... how? For how long? Don't you hate me for taking so long to tell you? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Calm down, Kara..." Lena smiled at her. "Sit here, come on."
Lena reached out to Kara, who was transfixed by the revelation. Still, she reached out and took Lena's hand, sat down beside her.
"Remember one time we went to your house to eat pizza, drink wine and watch a movie? It was just me, you and Alex at the time."
"I think so..."
"So... I remember you wearing a royal blue shirt, which I really like, I think it fits you really well, it highlights your eyes... and you had your hair down, it's so rare to see Kara Danvers with her hair down... you were so beautiful. I remember perfectly thinking that you should wear them like that more often. Anyway, back to the point... We were talking and it took a while to start the movie. When we started, it was already late. You were tired and fell asleep on the couch. Alex and I thought it was best to let you rest and we continued watching the movie without you."
"I remember that... I woke up the next day in the middle of the living room feeling embarrassed that I left you two alone to watch the movie... I mean, just you. Alex is used to see me falling asleep in the Middle of a movie."
"A little later, I don't know what time it was, Alex's phone rang and she said she needed to go to the DEO to take an urgent call from work. She apologized and left. I figured it was time for me to go too. I collected the glasses from the table, turned off the TV and went to your room to get a blanket to cover you before I leave. So I decided to take your glasses off so you could sleep more comfortably... and when I did, I realized how much people are fooled by a simple pair of glasses. Lying there on the couch was no longer the sweet Kara... it was Supergirl! I stood there for a moment, absorbing this unexpected discovery. Kara Danvers was Supergirl all this time, right under my nose, and I never noticed."
"Lena... I should have told you before..."
"Kara, don't worry about it."
"Why didn't you tell me you already knew this? It happened months ago!"
"I thought you had your reasons for not telling me yet, but that you would do when the time came. I decided to respect your time and your decision."
"I just wanted to protect you... look how much has happened to Alex because she's linked to me. I was terrified that something like that would happen to you... and then Lex did what he did... and I realized that I wasn't protecting you after all. That not telling you the truth was no longer doing you any good. And losing you like that... was..." Kara couldn't finish speaking, her eyes welling up with tears.
Lena touched Kara's face and wiped the tears running down her cheeks with her thumb.
"But that never happened here, in this time, remember? You managed to save me. I'm here with you... always have been and always want to be."
"Sorry I didn't tell you before."
"No need to apologize... really."
Kara felt as if a great weight was lifted off her back. She looked at Lena and smiled, took her hand and took a deep breath, more like a sigh than anything else.
"Thank you..." Kara said.
"For what?"
"For everything... for keeping my secret, for listening to me, understand me... for always being by my side."
Lena squeezed Kara's hand a little tighter, and she felt the great connection that existed between the two of them. Kara stayed there for a while, lost in those Lena's bright green eyes, her heart wanting to leap out of her chest.
"You said you had two things to tell me... you only told me one."
Kara swallowed hard. She was even more nervous all of a sudden.
"It's true, I do."
She was very nervous, so she got up again and resumed her pacing back and forth. Apparently walking like this helped her think of the words she would like to use.
"I was out of town for a while, you noticed, didn't you? Yeah, I went to hide out there in the arctic, in the Fortress of Solitude, to think. To think about all the things Alex had said to me that were in my face the whole time and I didn't want to see. I went to understand what was going on inside me. And in that time there alone I thought about you a lot, Lena... almost all the time. Alex made me reflect on what I thought, what I felt... made me see so many things that I was denying for fear of I don't know what. Fear of rejection, maybe... fear that you wouldn't understand me. I was really in denial. And nothing was really clear in my head until the moment Alex called me on the communicator saying you were in danger. My heart froze, clenched, hurt so much... and in that moment I knew very clearly."
Lena listened intently, following Kara with her eyes. Kara then stopped her walk, turning to Lena.
"It's very hard to deal with this that only grows inside me each day, Lena... it's hard to contain something that wants to overflow every time I'm around you. It's hard to try to hide something that my eyes scream when I look at you... and even if it's not reciprocal, I just want you to know how I feel. I just want you to be sure that I'm never going to do anything that might embarrass you or push us apart. I just want to see you happy always, because you deserve all the love in the world. I always want to be close to you, even if it's just as your friend, if you wish... I just wanted to say that... that I... uh... I'm... Rao, I'm so nervous!"
At this moment Lena calmly got up from the couch, looking very serene and a slight smile on her face, and stood in front of Kara.
"And with you this close, there's no way I could be any less nervous, Lena... I wanted to say that..."
"Kara, you don't have to be so nervous... and you don't have to say anything else."
Lena then touched Kara's face in a tender and gentle way, ran her thumb over Kara's rosy cheek, ignited by Lena's closeness. Lena moved even closer to Kara, and now their noses were almost touching. Kara closed her eyes, feeling Lena so close to her, her perfume invading her, her heartbeat sped up like hers. Then she heard Lena say in a whisper:
"I love you too, Kara."
Lena brought Kara's lips to hers in a slow, sweet, soft, delicate kiss. Kara could hear anything from miles away, but in that instant she couldn't hear anything else. She couldn't even remember how to breathe. Lena's sweet lips made her float without leaving the ground, it was as if nothing else existed but the two of them. It was like flying for the first time all over again.
Lena took her lips away from Kara's, leaving her mouth hovering there next to hers, their breath mingling with each other's.
"I loved you from the beginning, Kara... since you first walked into my office with Clark Kent. And I've loved you all this time, always in silence, in the small gestures, between the lines, hoping you would realize, somehow, that I was completely in love with you. I confess that I tried to run away, getting involved with Jack again and then with James, but it was only you who could make my eyes shine. Only you made my heart want to get out of my chest, beating so fast, so loudly. I'm amazed you didn't hear it."
"I heard a few times..." Kara smiled shyly. "But I never thought it was because of me."
"No one could ever make me feel this way, Kara. You brought joy into my life, a life with so few happy moments. And God knows the fear I had of opening my heart to you and you reject me, walk away from me... my fear of losing you made me a coward. I couldn't bear to lose you. And now, hear from your mouth that you feel the same way about me is the best thing that could happen in my life!"
Kara lost herself in Lena's gaze. She was skilled with words, but at that moment they all failed her. But it made no difference, because her eyes said more than any words she could ever say. She wrapped her arms around Lena's waist and brought her in for another kiss, this time with the passion she'd held inside for so long, the kiss Kara had longed for days, weeks... maybe years.
When they managed to stop, Lena was breathing heavily. Kara literally took her breath away.
"Kara Danvers... what was that..." Lena said, making them both laugh.
"It's because you have no idea how long I've wanted to do this."
"I can imagine. Maybe it was the same as me."
Kara touched Lena's face, caressing her fair skin. Kara's touch had something Lena couldn't explain, it was soft, velvety, warm...she felt every hair on her body stand on end.
"You must be tired, no? Me and Alex threw a lot of stuff in your lap today. It's a lot to take in."
"Yeah, a little... but it was worth every minute here with you. No matter how my head is boiling with thoughts."
Kara hugged her and Lena had never felt so comfortable in a hug before. Kara had an effect on her that no one else ever had. And for Kara, having Lena safe and sound in her arms was all that could make her happy in that moment.
"Can I take you home?" Kara asked.
"Take me? You mean, flying?"
"Yes..." Kara smiled.
"You know I hate to fly, but with you... with you I'm not afraid. I always feel safe when I'm with you."
Kara took Lena in her arms, holding her as close as she could so Lena would know she was truly safe. Lena wrapped her arms around Kara's neck, smelled the blonde's perfume and placed a light kiss on her neck, causing Kara to smile.
"Can we go?" Kara asked.
"We can." And she pressed a kiss to Kara's lips.