Back To Krypton

Chapter 33

Lena only managed to get a couple of hours of sleep despite her exhaustion. It's still sitting heavy in her bones and making her limbs feel like they're made of lead but she just can't sleep anymore. She woke up with a desperate need to pee so she ended up going into the bathroom to do so and then while she was there, she showered because honestly, she felt grotty.

She purposefully left the door open so she could hear if Kara woke up. She needs her now more than ever; she can barely even imagine the inner turmoil that must be burrowing into Kara's brain right about now.

On top of everything that has happened with Astra and The Rebellion, she's now got to think about the fact that Astra handed herself over to keep her safe. It's a bittersweet action, one that hurts Kara because of the implications but shows her true love for her niece in the self-sacrificial action she took just because she wanted to protect her.

That's just one side of things. She's also dealing with seeing her mother for the first time since she was a child and rather than being the overly loving, perfect mother she remembers, she's showing signs of the poor choices Kara only found out she made when Kara herself was an adult. She's seeing a flawed woman instead of the kind, nurturing one she remembers and that can't be easy.

As soon as she was done having a quick shower, one that made her skin red from how hard she scrubbed it to make sure she was properly clean, she climbed back into bed with Kara, just staring up at the ceiling and thinking about everything that they're up against and questioning her own decisions.

It's as she's still staring that Kara stirs.

"What are you doing?" Kara mumbles into Lena's collarbone, the woman is sprawled across Lena with a tight grip on her which means she's thoroughly pinned down.

"Just thinking."

Kara hums and Lena feels the vibration of it against her skin. "You think loudly."

Lena tilts her head a presses a gentle kiss to Kara's forehead, purposefully avoiding a little smudge of dirt still smeared across her skin. "Sorry, darling."

Kara hums again, shifting her body slightly to make it more comfortable for her to tilt her head upwards so she can press a kiss to Lena's lips. "It's ok. What are you thinking about?"

"Everything going on. We have a lot to figure out."

Lena feels a sigh against the skin of her throat and it makes her shiver slightly. Kara smiles at the reaction, just a tiny one in recognition of what just happened. "Yeah, we do. You smell nice though. Have you showered?"

"Yeah, not too long ago."

Kara leans back from her like she's been shocked. "Lena, you shouldn't have let me get you all dirty again after you just showed. I'll get you all mucky."

"I don't mind. I like cuddling with you."

Kara rolls her eyes dramatically. "You can have more cuddles once I've showered and brushed my teeth. I won't be long."

Lena grabs her by her wrist gently as she tries to back away out of the bed, pulling her back and pressing another kiss to her lips. "Take as long as you need, ok? I'll be right here when you get back and then we should probably go and see if the others are awake."

Kara nods, smiling again at Lena, always blown away by the way Lena always knows how to make her feel better and how she's always got room in her heart to be considerate. In a lot of ways it makes her feel less than because she knows that she could spend the rest of her life devoted to making the lives of others better but she'd still never be a fraction of how selfless and graceful Lena is. Mostly, she's just glad she gets to be so close to her, her light keeping her warm on the coldest of days, a privilege she's never going to knowingly take advantage of.