#I wrote this a year ago so don't judge too harshly please :P

[s-nebul0sa]

Twenty-Two Days

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Lena is beginning to regret her decision to let Kara carry their future child. It was an easy choice to make at first. Kara was the one who so badly wanted biological children, so Lena said she’d be the one to carry them. There was no way she’s going to ruin her own body for that – unless Kara was unable to conceive, then she’d do it for her wife. She just didn’t want to imagine what a pregnancy with a half-Kryptonian would do to her.

Thankfully, Kara got pregnant without much trouble. And after their first ultrasound, the first time Lena sees and hears the baby, she’s in love.

As bad as it is to watch Kara fight rogue aliens and criminals, it’s a thousand times worse knowing that if something happens it’s not just Kara getting hurt.

So, when she finds herself left alone at dinner, a plate half-finished sitting on the table opposite her, she can’t help but beat herself up over it. She’d not have to go through this all if she hadn’t been so stubborn. Even if she has a target on her own back, it’s not as bad as the target Supergirl is carrying on hers. Her assassination attempts are less frequent and, because they concern herself, less excruciating to experience. It’s not like any of them ever succeeded. (Okay, one time Morgan Edge got close with the poison in her coffee incident but that was a one-time thing. She’s a lot more careful with what she ingests now.)

She gets up and turns on the television, food forgotten. It’s like she’s drawn to watching her wife fight, even though it’s almost unbearable. It’s as if not watching is asking for something bad to happen. As if not watching is abandoning Kara, and Lena would never do that. That was one thing she’d always been sure of, long before she spoke the promise to have and to hold Kara until death do them part. Lena has her insecurities, but that was never one of them.

The worst thing about watching Kara is that Kara’s not human, she’s super. She has super speed and the cameras are always struggling to keep up. It’s the moments between shots, the moments the media can’t keep up with her. It’s those that make Lena stop breathing. They tighten her throat and squeeze all air from her lungs. Until there’s a clear image of Supergirl on the screen again, flying or standing. Skin unimpaired, eyes fierce and showing no sign of weakness.

Kara’s suit has been adjusted, the stiff material too tight for her to fit in anymore. A special, stronger layer added to the middle. Protecting the precious cargo in her belly.

It’s been a reason for ample of discussions and even flat out fights. Lena did not want Kara to be Supergirl anymore. Not until the baby’s born. Kara couldn’t stop protecting the citizens. She couldn’t give up her duty to Earth. After one of the fights turned really ugly and Kara had spent the night at Alex’s, the agent had set both of them down to come to an agreement. Their emotions had run high, but Alex had been adamant about figuring it out.

She’d listened to both their arguments, keeping as objective as possible and through the whole ordeal, Lena was more grateful than ever to have become a Danvers. Alex was the best sister (in-law) she could ever imagine. When, finally, Alex had come to a verdict, neither of them agreed at first. They were both stopped in their protest with a pointed look and relented. Kara would be Supergirl until she reached the third trimester. She would not run into fights unprepared, always wait for back-up and never ignore orders from higher-up or she’d be benched immediately.

Lena looks intently at the screen, wishing for this fight to just be over. Every hit Kara takes makes her jump, makes her heart beat rise and her blood pressure reach dangerous heights. Maybe it’s a good things Kara iscarrying the baby because Lena’s body reacts so strongly to Kara fighting (it always did, even when Kara wasn’t pregnant) it can be nothing good for a foetus. With every minute that passes by, Lena chants to herself ‘only twenty-two more days, only twenty-two more days, only twenty-two more days’. As if the prospect of Kara being Supergirl for twenty-two more days is a relief. It’s not. But Lena has to do something to keep her mind from going to the places that make her break down. To keep her mind from telling her that all it really takes is just one bad moment. One well-aimed hit. One too strong opponent.

It takes all she has not to bolt out the door and drive to the fight. The first and only time she did that, she ended up getting cuffed by Alex and thrown in a DEO cell for the night because she didn’t stick to the deal. With Lena present, Kara doesn’t fight as good. Always tuned in to her wife and worried, trying to keep her safe instead of subduing the alien or criminal.

Lena can still feel the burn of the cold metal on her wrists when she thinks back. She pushes away the ideas of running after her wife away and keeps staring at the screen.

Kara’s fighting an alien this time. Both of them flying high up. Her heat vision seems to have little effect on the large creature and its scales appear to give it some form of natural armour. But Kara’s a smart fighter, dodging most of the sluggish punches thrown her way. Making sure she can deflect the rest or take the punch in a spot that doesn’t matter as much.

Fighting takes a little more energy now, always focussed on not getting hit in the stomach. It probably wouldn’t do anything, her skin is still made of steel and her suit is stronger than ever, but she’s not willing to test it. She only really has to work this alien down to the ground so the DEO agents can subdue it and lock it up. The alien is really just a heavy rock floating in the sky, unaffected by most of Kara’s attacks but too focussed on the blonde in front of it to realise that it can wreck a lot more havoc by attacking bystanders or passers-by.

When it spreads its arms, no doubt in an attempt to catch Kara and crush her between its…. – for lack of a better term – arms, Kara sees a small colour change between its scales. It’s as if the scales parted a little and are showing its soft core. She doesn’t have time to analyse any longer as its arms start moving towards each other with great force. She flies back out of reach and its hands close around nothing, sending a shockwave of air in all directions catching Kara of guard and sending her flying backwards a little more.

As the alien closes the distance, she has time to think and plan. She flies around it, causing it to miss punch after punch due to her high speed. Then she stops for a moment, right in front of it and within reach. The alien spreads its arms again, causing a small smile to appear on Kara’s lips. It’s really too easy this way. When the scales spread, she punches her hand right in the middle of the patch of orange that’s now showing.

She feels a soft goo suck in her arm even more and fears the alien will actually get a hit on her as she can’t seem to retract her arm. She struggles a little more, trying to pull back but unable so without anything to brace herself against. Then the alien’s arms come falling down to its sides, his altitude drops and Kara is pulled down along with it. She slows its descend by flying upward, the alien still attached to her arm. Together, they land on the street with a thud and agents rush over to detach them. Kara uses her feet to create leverage against its body and with use of super strength she is suddenly released with a pop and sent reeling back.

Alex rushes over to her side, worry on her face. A look Kara is getting sick of. She’s fine. They’re fine. She’s Supergirl for Rao’s sake, not made from sugar but from steel. Before Alex has reached her, she’s back on her two feet already.

“I’m fine, Alex,” she says even before Alex can ask. She knows her sister long enough to know she was about to ask.

“Okay, good. But I’m going to scan you anyway. We don’t know what effect having your arm stuck inside the alien has on you.” Alex whips out a small scanner, very much looking like the ones used in stores only a few sizes up. It’s one of Lena’s inventions, making it easier to detect lasting effects on Kara and trace amounts of Kryptonite radiation in case Kara’s come into contact with it without noticing. Especially useful after a second red kryptonite incidence almost sent Kara into full National City Destruction Mode™.

Kara endures the scanning, knowing full well she’ll never be allowed to be Supergirl ever again if she refuses, and it enables her to go home if she’s cleared. After a minute, a small beeping noise sounds from the device.

“Okay, you’re cleared. You can go home but you know the drill. If anything odd happens, if you feel strange or if anything changes you come straight to the DEO,” Alex says, throwing Kara a towel to clean her arm on.

“I know, I know. You don’t have to tell me every time. Lena will be the first to drag me there so don’t worry.” Kara throws the towel back and lifts off, making sure she does it slowly so as not to send Alex reeling back from the force.

The moment Kara lands on their balcony, Lena can breathe again. She’s seen Kara win the fight on the television but it’s not the same as seeing her wife safe and sound standing right in front of her. She runs over to the caped figure outside, wrapping her tight in her arms. Needing to actually feel that Kara’s really unhurt.

“You’re okay,” Lena whispers in Kara’s ear, blinking back tears. If she didn’t know any better she’d think shewas the hormonal one.

“I’m okay,” Kara softly confirms.

Lena’s hands trail down from Kara’s shoulders to her belly, resting on the swell beneath the blue fabric.

“You’re okay too.” Lena says, bending down to press a kiss on top of Kara’s stomach. Lena earns an answer in the form of a small kick and she’s finally able to fully smile again. She presses kisses all over Kara’s belly, wanting to show them both she loves them but is rudely interrupted by the loud rumbling of a stomach. Kara’s. Of course. She didn’t have a chance to finish dinner before the fight and her appetite was already humongous before she got pregnant. Feeding a half-Kryptonian baby too made her constantly hungry. It was a rare sight to find Kara not eating something nowadays.

Lena chuckles and sees Kara grin sheepishly. She drags her wife over to the kitchen and puts her in a chair, prompting her to finish dinner. Kara gets up and speeds off to put on something more comfortable to wear before she complies. Her suit might be safer now, but it certainly hasn’t improved in user-friendliness. She’s back at the table before Lena even notices she’s left.

By now, they know each other well enough to know their quirks and pet peeves. Lena knows Kara will not be satisfied by merely this dinner, especially after such a fight so she heats up the oven and throws in some pizzas. Kara knows Lena doesn’t like cold food, which she still doesn’t understand because food is food but she uses her heat vision to heat up what’s left on Lena’s plate anyway.

The rest of dinner is spent in silence, Kara too busy eating and Lena too busy checking out Kara to make sure there truly is nothing wrong with her. When they’re both finally finished eating, they move to the couch. Tonight, they just want to feel each other close and take it slow.  

Lena places herself behind Kara, one leg on each side of the blonde. Her hands come around the body in front of her. Four hands are resting on the baby growing inside Kara, showing them how much they’re loved and protected already. Kara puts on her favourite TV show and leans back against Lena. They both watch intently but Lena gets distracted before they’re even halfway. She presses her lips against the exposed skin in front of her. The soft spot where Kara’s neck flows into her shoulder. Lena leaves behind a trail of red lipstick, the only spots she’ll ever make on Kara. She enjoys leaving as many of them as possible and swipes Kara’s hair away to colour a path along her neck to the other shoulder. Her free hand roams up Kara’s shirt and when Kara moans she lets it cup Kara’s boob through her bra.

Kara’s hands suddenly rest on Lena’s thighs, encouraging her to slip Kara out of her shirt and press kisses along her spine. Kara turns around to catch Lena’s lips with her own and make sure Lena doesn’t lag behind in her state of nakedness. Nimble fingers unclip Lena’s bra without even looking at the nice dark purple lace and slip it from her shoulders. Lena’s fingers find Kara’s bottoms and tug the elastic band down, slipping it to Kara’s knees where it can’t move down any further because of the couch. Kara gets up, never breaking contact with Lena’s lips, and slips out of her pants. She pulls her head back slowly, making Lena chase her lips and get up too. A sneaky way to easily get rid of Lena’s bottoms. She’s still working on the button when soft hands find the clasp of her own bra and slip it off. Those same soft hands rest on top of hers, helping her unbutton Lena’s pants. When those are shed too, Lena presses herself closer to Kara and tries to move them in the direction of the bedroom. At first, Kara doesn’t comply, revelling in the closeness of their bodies. Eventually she gives in and starts walking backwards, letting Lena guide her. Fully trusting her wife to make sure they end up in the right room.