'How long will you be gone?' Kara asked, pout full and puppy dog eyes on.
'About a month.' At that her pout worsened.
'That's so long!' She whined.
'I know! But I can't help it! It's work Kar.' You were bummed that you had to go all the way to Australia for a work trip to one of your other offices, but also extatique to get back to where you started.
'But you're the boss! Surely you could ask someone else to go?' Her shoulders started to slump.
'I started the company up over there. I had to go back at some point. You, Kara Zor-El, can live a month without me.'
'I don't think I can.' She sounded strangely serious. It was moments like this where you thought your feelings for your best friend weren't totally one sided. But you pushed it down. Definitely not. Kara's straight.
'We can text and facetime and all of that. You'll be fine.' You pulled her into a hard hug and she melted into it.
'Tell me again why I can't just fly over to see you?' Kara said into your shoulder.
'It would look suspicious. Anddddd Supergirl is busy. I'm not letting you waste your day coming to see me. Also, it'll take up too much of your energy.' You explained for the fifth time.
'Ughhhh.' She groaned and pulled back.
'I'll miss your face.' You said quietly, holding back the three words you wanted to say.
But it didn't help your mind saying them.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
'I'll miss yours too.' She said at the same pitch, searching your eyes for... something.
The moment was broken when Alex barged in with Maggie trailing behind.
'(y/n) we'll miss you so much.' Alex said, bombarding you with a hug which Maggie happily joined. A few moments later you felt Kara's arms wrap around you too.
'I'll miss you too dorks.' You said into Alex's hair.
You all detached from each other and you grabbed your suitcase.
'You sure you don't want me to fly you to the airport?' Kara said, and you failed to notice the crack in her voice.
'Nope. I'm all good.' You didn't want to burden her and you knew you would end up staying if she asked again.
'Okay.' She said.
'Bye guys.' You said with a sad smile. A month was a long time.
You went through your buildings doors and got into a cab.
You missed them all instantly, and you couldn't help but feel a dread set in your stomach. A month was enough to meet someone. Kara could meet someone. Your chance could be swept away. Not that you had much of a chance anyway. Even if you did, you never dared to take it.
You washed it down with a bottle of water on the plane and breathed deeply. It was fine. It was all fine.
A week later and it was not fine at all. You had left your company startup office in the hands of someone you thought would hold it together, but they hadn't. You were running on two hours sleep and 10 cups of coffee a day and it was all catching up on you. It was Sunday, a day you told yourself you'd have off but couldn't actually know that you were here.
Your company had grown internationally over the past few years but this office was personal to you. It had been where you started, and where your family was, and where your mother died. You were staying in your old family home, but you are barely there. You see glimpses of your father and younger brother but that's it. You hadn't really had good relationships with them anyway. After you came out, they stopped talking to you as much. You had gotten used to it, but at the time it stung and that's when you moved to national city, taking the excuse of expanding your business.
You were sitting in your office, words on the report in your hand merging together and your brain pounding in your skull when the blaring of a phone pierced your ears.
'This is Miss (y/l/n) speaking how can I help you?' You said in your best perky, customer friendly voice, trying not to let the tiredness seep into it.
'Rao (y/n).' And god, if that voice didn't fill your body with warmth.
You had exchanged a few messages when you could with Kara, telling her how busy you were and tired.
'You sound exhausted.' She said.
'I am exhausted.' You said, your voice quieter now.
'(y/n)...' She trailed off, clearly giving you an invitation to talk.
'Look, I have a lot to do today Kara. I'm sorry. I have to go.' You couldn't break down now, not half way through the day you didn't want to work on but had to. You hung up, feeling bad but pushing it behind everything else you needed to do right now.
You got back at 1 on Monday, crashing into the sofa and falling asleep straight away. It was only a 4 hour sleep though, your phone ringing waking you up at 5.
'(y/n) you can't just hang up on me like that. I'm worried about you!' Kara's voice came through booming.
'Huh?' You said, your mind still foggy from sleep.
'Oh shoot you are sleeping sorry.' She mumbled.
'Not anymore I'm not. Thanks for interrupting my longest sleep yet.' You said angrily, hanging up yet again and stormed into the bathroom to get ready as you weren't going to be able to fall back asleep.
You lost yourself in the world of business until Wednesday when you saw a chinese restaurant. shit Kara.
You hadn't even looked at your phone since Monday.
You picked it up from where it still lay unused on the sofa.
There were 10 messages from Kara, 2 missed calls and a bunch of texts from your other friends. Fuck.
When you had a free 10 minutes during lunch, you called her.
'Fuck (y/n) where have you been? I thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth. I know I was wrong to disturb your sleep but I don't think it deserves your silent treatment.' Kara whisper shouted into your ear.
Kara Danvers just swore. Kara Danvers just swore. And it was the hottest thing you've heard.
'I'm so sorry Kara. Not my proudest moment. I've been insanely busy. Like insanely busy.' You rubbed your hand over your face.
'You haven't been mad at me?' She asked. She sounded upset.
'God no. Never. It's just... so much being back here.' You couldn't describe it fully.
'I'm sorry.' She said.
'It's not your fault. None of it's your fault.' You said, looking at the reports in front of you that had gone blurry an hour ago.
'How much sleep have you been getting?' She said. She knew you so well.
'Not enough.' You said.
'How much?'
'2-3 hours a night if I'm lucky.' You murmured.
'(y/n)' She sounded like she might burst into tears.
'I can't afford anymore Kar. If I want to get back to you guys in 3 weeks, I need to knuckle down.'
'Please take care of yourself.' She said.
'I'm trying.' You whispered.
'Okay.' She said, equally quiet.
'I have to go.' You said as you heard the tell tale shuffles of your assistant coming in.
'Okay. Speak to you soon?' She said.
'Of course Kara.' You hung up yet again.
It was the next Sunday, the half way point of your trip, when you collapsed.
You weren't sure whether it was the lack of sleep or food or water, but you woke up in a hospital bed and felt like crying. Your dad and brother left pretty soon after you woke, not wanting to talk to you anymore than they have to.
You were on bed rest for a day, and you couldn't deal with your own thoughts so you picked up your phone.
'(y/n) hey!' Was breathed into the line.
It felt like heaven.
'Hey Kara.' You said, still a little drowsy.
'Are you okay?' Kara said.
'Yup! Totally fine. At least that's what the doctor said.'
'Doctor?' Kara asked, worry in her tone.
'Yeah. I may've fainted.' You squeaked out.
'WHAT?' Kara shouted.
'It's okay really-'
'It isn't okay in the slightest! Rao you fainted!' You heard the rush of wind and-
'Kara. Don't tell me you are-'
'Of course I am!' She said.
'Don't fly over here.' You said sternly. You had lied to her. It wasn't just because of her being busy. Your family isn't your family anymore. She's lost family, but gained it again. You didn't want her to see how much you had lost, because she would know you understood. And you never let people know how much of a 'disappointment' you were to the people who were supposed to support you unconditionally. The only person who knew was Michelle, your fiancé. Who was in the car with your Mom. The two people who didn't push you away died in that car crash. You had told your mom first, about Michelle. She was the one who knew you were engaged long before the rest of your family. They only found out after her death. When you couldn't hide how heartbroken you were not only for your mom, but also for your love.
'You can't stop me.' She said back.
'Please. Kara please. Don't come.' You said softly.
'Why not?' She sounded hurt.
'I just- I'm fine really. I'll get some sleep and be back to work in a few days. You don't have to worry.'
There was a silence and then the wind stopped.
'Okay. Talk to you soon.' She hung up this time.
You didn't know what made you so cold to Kara, maybe the fact that you forgot people cared for you when you come back to where you grew up. It was lonely, and you wanted to go back. But you couldn't.
The next week was much the same, insanely packed and getting even less sleep than before. That's why you should've really seen it coming.
You collapsed again. In your office this time. It was probably because you hadn't slept for 50 hours. Not that you remembered that at the time.
When you woke up, Kara and Alex were on either side of your bed holding your hands.
'What- what are you doing here?' You asked.
'(y/n)' Kara said, painfully almost.
'Kid... you collapsed twice in the space of a week.' Alex said gently.
'I know.' You let your head tilt forward.
'Why? Why are you doing this?' Kara said, standing up and pacing.
'Kara.' Alex warned.
'No! She does not get to leave for a month and barely contact us. She does not get to collapse and say nothing is wrong.' She was pointing at you and angry tears were falling.
Alex sat back, her hand still in yours and breathed out.
You let one tear fall and then looked up.
'My mom and fiancé died 7 years ago. On a road outside my company building.' You said, voice weirdly calm and authoritative.
Kara opened her mouth and you shot your hand up to stop her.
'Not only that, but my brother and dad disowned me after I told them that fiancé I lost was a woman. So sue me for drowning myself in work instead of taking to my family. Oh wait, there's no family to even talk to.' You were shouting at this point, angry at everyone.
There was a tense silence for several seconds before Kara clambered clumsily into your hospital bed, wrapped her arms around you and sobbed into your shoulder.
Oh. This is what love felt like. Alex's hand was still secured in yours, squeezing tight. Kara was shaking in your embrace but squishing you against her.
'You never told us.' Kara pulled back. Your faces were really close.
'I didn't want to bring that burden to my new life.' You admitted softly.
'Alex can you leave for a sec?' Kara asked out of the blue.
'Umm why?' Alex said, shifting slightly.
'Do you want to see your sister kiss your best friend?' Kara asked.
You heart beat skyrocketed. What?
'Nope. No. I'm going.'
Before Alex was even out of the door, Kara had turned back to you, took your face in her hands and pressed her lips to yours.
Through the haze, you somehow found words after she pulled back.
'What was that for?' You said, pecking her again after to make sure she knew you wanted it.
'For telling me.' She said.
'I should've told you ages ago if that was going to be my reward.' You tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
'Why didn't you tell me earlier?' She meant into your touch.
'Because I couldn't bring myself to tell the woman I love that the only other two women I loved were dead. I thought I could be cursed.'
'You love me?' You flushed.
'Yes. I love you Kara.'
'I love you too.' She replied quickly.
'I love you so much. I missed you so much.' She kissed you again. And again. And again. Until Alex walked in and walked right back out again. Until you got on a plane back to national city. And after, she kissed you more times than you could count.
