Chương 9: Chapter 9: My Little Star

Night comes quickly enough for the pair which Kara is grateful for.

Kara looks down at the peaceful creature before her. Lena is still fully asleep but her mouth has stopped her suckling ministrations. Her teeth still hold gently onto her tender fingers.

Around nine, the driver calls to inform them that they are ready and waiting in the nine-block parking lot.

"Ok love bug, time to get up," Kara says calmly, brushing the brown locks that have made their way onto Lena's face.

Lena has never been a light sleeper. Ready for whatever comes her way. But when she is exhausted, she is basically as useful as a brick, maybe less than. The battered CEO stirs a bit, curling in on herself, looking ready to just sleep for eternity. She goes to turn and groans in pain, then let out a pitiful pain and sleep-induced whimper.

"Are you in pain?" Of course, Kara knows the answer, but she wants Lena to confirm it so she can give her the right meds. To Kara's question, Lena can only nod her head in response. She tucks her head away into the bed's pillow and pulls the covers just a bit above her head.

Kara can hear her tiny sniffles. Lena has a hard time expressing emotions and letting go. Kara has done well in reteaching her that all of her emotions are valid and she is allowed to let her anger, sadness, and happiness out. The Luthors did not provide the proper environment for an impressionable four-year-old. She was taught that her emotions are a weakness and showed them even more so. Lena has cried in front of her, earlier has shown that Lena does have them, but that was bound to happen.

Lena has to deal with regular murder attempts, they basically have been written in her daily schedule. With having brushed with death so many times, you're bound to crack. And this latest one is breaking Lena at her poorly patched-up seams.

Kara gets up slowly, cautious of her movements as to not disrupt the girl lying on the bed in pain. She makes her way to the far end table where the doctor has put the bottle of pills for Lena to take for the pain. She takes two out and grabs a water bottle she had Alex pick up before she left. It's one of Lena's favourites, it has a rubber straw that she loves to chew on, they have to get replaced now and then but Lena can't help but chew.

She walks back over, shuffling to the middle of the bed, and pats her lover's arm gently. "Drink up and take these." Lena sits up slowly, leaning heavily on the pillows to the back of her. She takes the two pills and downs them with the water. She grimaces at the bitter aftertaste.

"We have to get ready to go, our car is waiting. Im gonna help you get ready, ok?" Lena nods without looking up to Kara. But Kara sees this weird look that rests on the surface of her features. It's a faraway look Kara has had the pleasure to see a few times in her relationship with Lena, and on the rare occasions where Lena slept at her apartments before they got together.

Kara gets the Lena-sized DEO sweats Alex brought by earlier. She nudges Lena to sit up and the reporter maneuvers her gown off with minimal effort.

While dressing Lena, the blonde tries to avert her eyes from the numerous bruises that scatter her girlfriend's body. Kara knows it's not her fault but it's hard to separate the blame part of her brain. She knows that Morgan was the one to hurt her Lena, she does, but she was supposed to protect her, twenty-four-seven, no matter how unrealistic that may be. She was downtown trying to stop an alien from killing kids playing at the park. She didn't notice Lena's elevated heartbeat till the alien was to be escorted to the DEO.

Kara shakes her head to try and get rid of the ridiculous intrusive thoughts. Lena is here, and that's all that matters.

The reporter finishes getting her love dressed, a little concerned for her because she hasn't said a word since she has been awake.

"Lena, baby? Are you ok?" Kara's brows crease in concern.

Lena sits on the edge of the hospital bed, letting Kara put her last sock on. She looks up towards Kara, trying to muster the energy to express what she needs. But she feels so out of it. So light and heavy at the same time. She feels so, small. Looking up at Kara, her sweet blonde girlfriend's eyes shine with love and concern. Lena just wants to bury herself in her strawberry-scented arms and sleep for infinity. Knowing that she is protected by the arms of steel, ones that feel softer than silk and bring so much pleasure, sexual and not.

The CEO's face forms a slight pout, one you would tell a child to put away because you said no to a cookie. But Lena is the picture of precious and that pout can make anyone fall to her command.

The brunette instead of trying to speak to what she wants, she holds up both her arms towards Kara's direction and makes grabby hands. Signaling to her girlfriend that she would like to be picked up and carried.

"Sorry Lee, I can't carry you right now, it could aggravate your owies." Great, now i'm talking to her like a child.

Lena doesn't seem fazed by the speech. She is close to tears. The CEO slouches forward a bit, dropping her arms down to her sides. Now her tears come pouring down alongside a whimper. A small cry is made through parted lips.

The reporter puts the coat down and gently brings Lena into a hug. Trying to alleviate the emotional ache she must be feeling.

"I know baby, but I'm sure you'd rather be home in your soft cotton sheets than the scratchy sheets in this bed." Kara makes an exaggerated animated face of discomfort and itching motions. Just like she remembers her mother doing to try and get her mind off of a scraped knee she procured from a very mean swing set.

Lena lets out a child-like laugh. "Silly." Her first words, it would have been missed if not for the Kryptonians super hearing.

"I know, now come on little star," Lena blushes at the nickname. "No more tears, let's get you home and some food in that tummy of yours." The tiny woman nods her head in conformation and obeys whatever Kara says from here.

The blonde wheels her girlfriend out to the standard-issued DEO van given to all upper-level employees. This is the first time Kara has actually used it.

The ride home doesn't take long, just thirty minutes on a slightly bumpy road. It usually would take about twenty to twenty-five depending on traffic but because of Lena's condition, the driver was instructed to take it slow and easy. Lena was dozing off by minute five.

"Com'on miss sleepy butt, we're home." Lena stirs a bit, only half awake, but awake enough to stand on her own, with help of course. Kara shoots the driver a quiet thank you and declines the offer for help. The driver does wait for them to make it into the building before they drive off.

She carries Lena the rest of the way, knowing that a minute or two is ok on her ribs. She takes them to the elevator and taps the top button for the top-floor penthouse.

She sets Lena on her feet, needing both hands for the biometric scanner to open the front door. They got rid of keys when a crazy paparazzi somehow stole Lena's set and invaded their privacy. Kara wrote an exposé on him. His face splattered on the front page, getting money from drug dealers in exchange for coke. Kara searched more and exposed the whole drug ring who was also in the business of selling people for profit.

The reporter sweeps Lena up into her arms again and deposits the CEO on top of the comforter of their California king bed.

"Would you like a bath?" She can tell that her girlfriend is beyond tired but having a wash now would make the leftover griminess of the hospital disappear. Getting clean before bed always made Lena feel better going to bed and waking up in the morning.

"I would just set you in the nice and warm bath," Kara begins to undress her while explaining the process. "Fill it up just a bit, we can't get your wounds wet before they begin to heal. Then I would gently wash you with a washcloth, with your favourite lavender scent." Lena lets out a groan at that and shakes her head in a no. She lifts up her hand and points to Kara. The blonde's brows knit together in a bit of confusion. Then they shoot up.

"You want my strawberry wash?" Lena shakes her head yes.

"Ok, my body washes then. Then I would tip you back a bit and rinse out your hair. Then all squeaky clean!" By the time Kara is done undressing her, her lids are now at half mast again. Her right-hand starts to find its way to her open mouth. Ready to take in the comfort the two fingers bring.

Before they can make it to their destination, Kara gently grabs her wrist and redirects the journey. She kisses the wrist when Lena whines in sadness.

"Sorry little star, no fingers in mouths. They aren't clean yet, I can't have you getting sick."

Lena groans as if she is in physical pain from not suckling on her fingers. She seems to come to her senses a bit and her eyes pop open, comically wide. She looks as if she has been caught in a secret act. She tears up, wanting to be swallowed whole from this embarrassing moment. She caught me.

Oblivious to her, Kara isn't sure why she's acting like this, this one-eighty turn in emotions. Kara plays it off like it's nothing.

"It's ok, you can have all the fingers you want after I get you squeaky clean. You can have some dinner and we can sleep like no tomorrow, but after the bath, how does that sound?"

Lena looks up to her apprehensively but nods in conformation.

The reporter beams at her. "Great! I'm gonna go start the bath."

The blonde goes to start the bath and five minutes later comes back out to grab her love and takes her to the tub to wash up. Everything is done in the span of twenty minutes, along with Kara having a litte wash up herself.

Lena is all but awake when Kara manages to get her in an oversized graphic T-shirt and a random pair of cotton underwear. She looks at Lena's tiny form, her steady breaths and the soft suckling noise she's making with her lips wrapped around her now clean digits give Kara life.

I guess no dinner for you.

She tucks Lena in snug, wrapping her in her favourite fleece blanket. Lena snuggles under the covers more, sucking a bit firmer, sighing in contentment.

Kara leans over and kisses her star's forehead and whispers. "I love you my little star." She gently gets up and makes her way out of the room. Pulling the door up halfway, making sure not to shut it so a little of the living room glow peaks through. Lena does not like to wake up in complete darkness if she is alone, Kara has learned that the hard way when consoling a sobbing Lena one night when she left for her Supergirl duties. The brunette only later said that she doesn't like to sleep in the dark alone and then the subject was dropped. Kara noted her uncomfortableness.

Kara goes to the kitchen and puts two pizzas in the oven. She turns to the TV and flicks on the news, just for background ambiance. She makes sure the volume is on mute, weary of the sound, trying not to disturb her sleeping girl.

She tidies up around the house not using her superhuman speed. The timer to the oven dings and Kara takes both pizzas over to the couch to eat. She sets the plates on the coffee table and perches her computer in her lap.

"Time for research."