How Many Tears Are Enough?

Seven

The LuthorCorp gala is fast approaching and Kara can't help but worry a little more about Lena. The younger woman's acquired lightness over the past few months has been disappearing with the anniversary of the explosion that killed her friends and girlfriend, the gala and her speech her mother all but ordered her to give, looming over her head. Kara tries what she can to ease Lena's mind, going for walks together, playing games, watching movies and idle chitchats. She's even offered to help Lena write her speech but the ravenette declined the offer, wanting to write it herself for closure. She does occasionally come knocking on Kara's door when she needs some emotional support in between writing, or needs help deciding whether or not to include a certain event or memory in her speech.

Kara can't wait for the gala to be over. It weighs heavily on the both of them and she can't stop wondering what she's exactly expected to do that night, aside from keeping an eye on Lena so she doesn't do something she might regret later.

Meals grow silent and Lena starts having trouble eating again, needing Kara to actively remind her of meal times and stare at her until she finishes her plate, slowly. Everything starts to become slow, like she's starring in an old movie where they put the tempo of play-back too low.

On the day of the gala, Kara finally relents and lets Lena get away with eating only a slice of toast and a few pieces of fruit. Hopefully after the gala, Lena will go back to being better at eating, and well, everything else again. Kara hopes the gala is only a little bump in the road of Lena's recovery and not a cliff she's fallen off with no way back up.

Neither of them is involved in the gala preparations and they spend the day in companionable silence, each reading a book, retreating to their own rooms after tea time to get dressed in their fancy gowns.

Kara forgets how to breathe for a few long moments. Her mouth goes dry and her heartbeat picks up speed. Despite the grim look on her face – more suitable for a funeral than a gala – Lena is still the most gorgeous woman Kara has ever seen. Her deep red dress fits her curves perfectly and her matching lipstick draws Kara's eyes involuntarily to her lips. Dark curls are swept over one shoulder, leaving the other bare for Kara to stare at.

Lena doesn't seem to notice Kara's faltering, her eyes looking off in the distance and her mind clearly elsewhere – probably with her speech. Kara uses Lena's distracted moments to recompose herself – this is her friend and she needs Kara to be her friend, not some weird person who can't even function around her.

She hooks her arm with Lena's and guides them outside. A driver – adorned in a suit and even wearing one of those driver's caps – is waiting for them and opens the door to let them enter the sleek limousine before slipping into the driver's seat. She introduces herself as Meghan and tells them she'll be waiting outside the gala for them to drive them back whenever they want.

The grim look on Lena's face only gets harsher the closer they get to LuthorCorp. Before the moment it appears in view, it hadn't occurred to Kara this is the exact same building where everyone Lena loved got killed and she nearly died herself.

The building looks like nothing ever happened but when Kara looks over to her friend, there's a stony look on her face, as if Lena's trying to just block out all emotions. Kara doesn't know if and how she should comfort her but when Lena takes a strained breath she opts for a single hand on the ravenette's knee. Lena smiles weakly at her in gratitude, finally really acknowledging Kara's presence, before focussing somewhere outside the window again – presumably LuthorCorp tower.

Meghan stops the car at the beginning of a long red carpet trailing up to the entrance of LuthorCorp. Both sides of the carpet are lined by paparazzi trying to get the best picture of the invitees. Meghan takes a moment to look at Kara and Lena in the mirror and Kara sends her a small smile.