Hi, this story is set after season 5 and center around Kara and Lena. :)

Chapter 1 - First Step

"I wasn't ready to accept your apology, but maybe... maybe I am now." Kara said with a slight smile that made Lena's heart flutter in a way it hadn't fluttered in a very long time.

Suddenly, she felt as if a crushing weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

As if the thick heaviness of her heart had been erased and replaced with a renewed hope that she hadn't felt in so long that she didn't even remember what this feeling was until she felt it again at this very moment.

Tears of relief made their way into her eyes and her voice got caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly and tried to keep her tears inside.

"Okay," she exhaled. "What now?"

"Well, there's still one bad guy left to catch."

A smile tugged at Lena's lips at the chance Kara offered her to team up together to stop Lex and save the world.

"Let's go take my brother down." Lena put an arm out, expecting a handshake, but secretly wishing for a hug.

A hug that she didn't know how to ask for.

A hug that she wasn't even sure she was allowed to wish for.

Kara gave her another smile as she stuck her arm out and slid her hand into Lena's.

Lena felt new tears well into her eyes at the contact of Kara's hand in hers. After such a long time apart, she had forgotten how much it felt right and good to be touched by Kara. And now that she had finally chosen to let go of the anger and pain Kara's betrayal had caused her, she could finally allow herself to feel again the love she had for her best friend. Or was it, her former best friend?

Although they had chosen to forgive, Lena wasn't sure what they were for each other at this very moment.

A lump made its way into Lena's throat when she realized that it wasn't because Kara had chosen to forgive her that they were back at being best friends. They were going to team up to catch Lex, but what if Kara didn't want anything more from her after that? That thought made Lena's heart ache until she chose to only focus on the contact of Kara's hand in hers.

She looked down at their joined hands. The ache of her heart soothed. She was still wishing for a hug, but she felt that it wasn't her place to initiate it and she had accepted the fact that Kara probably wasn't going to initiate it either.

One step at a time, Lena silently told herself.

Kara's heart raced at the sensation of Lena's hand in her own as her feelings for the woman she had been in love with for years came back all at once, almost submerging her like the highest of wave. She was so grateful that Lena didn't have super-hearing making her able to hear the pounding of her heart against her ribcage. She tried to calm down her overwhelming emotions and focused on listening Lena's heartbeat. It was something she did for years every time things were becoming too much. It always centered her. It was something she had kept doing even when she and Lena weren't on the best of terms. It was the thing that had made her feel that with enough time and patience she could've had Lena in her life again.

And now, Lena was here, standing in front of her, with no sign of anger lingering into those deep hypnotizing green eyes she could have gotten lost into forever.

Lena's hand was so soft in her own, and Kara wished she never had to let go.

Kara wished they could share more than a handshake. She wanted to hug Lena more than ever, but given the effect the mere contact of their joined hands provoked within her, Kara was afraid of the feelings that would course through her body if she were to find herself in a tight embrace with the only person she had truly fallen in love with.

They held on tight to each other's hand even long after they sealed their new mission with a handshake.

None of them wanted to let go of the contact of their joined hands.

Both were afraid of having to live without each other again.

Kara rubbed softly her thumb over Lena's hand. Tears welled into her eyes when she began thinking about the painful emptiness that had tightened her heart until Lena had shown up at her doorstep early in the morning. It was true that she hadn't wanted to let her in at first. But that was mainly because she had wanted to protect herself from the only one that could shatter her.

Despite what most people thought, kryptonite wasn't Kara's greatest weakness.

Lena was.

But paradoxically, Lena was also her greatest strength.

Just by existing and gravitating towards her, Lena could give Kara more strength than the brightest of sun.

That explained why Kara had felt so weak this year, even though she had tried her best not to show it.

Even though she had done her best to be the hero everyone expected her to be, no matter how heavy was the weight resting on her shoulders.

A weight that seemed far less suffocating ever since she knew that Lena was back on her team.

Afraid of losing Lena again and longing to be around her for as long as she could, Kara swallowed thickly when her tears threatened to spill out. She looked down at her hand holding Lena's and entwined slowly their fingers.

"You all right?" She heard Lena ask in a concerned tone.

She looked up at her best friend. No matter what happened between them. No matter how painful had been the suffering of this last year, Lena was still her best friend. Even though Kara wished that Lena could be more than that.

She smiled at Lena. "Yeah." She breathed out. "I was just wondering if... if you were free to hang out tonight, with me. We could have a movie night, like we used to."

Like we used to, Lena smiled through glistening eyes as she heard those words that made her feel that they were going to be okay even though things could never be the same. But the renewed hope swirling in her heart made her think that perhaps things could get even better, now that they weren't any secrets between them.

Well, except for the very non-platonic feelings she had for her best friend, and Lena wasn't even sure she would ever feel brave enough to express those feelings.

Perhaps one day, she silently told herself and chose to focus on the friendship Kara gifted her with.

"I'd love that." Lena squeezed softly Kara's hand.

Kara gave Lena her brightest smile.

With their hands not parting and a smile on their faces, Kara and Lena made their way out of Lena's lab.

They stepped inside Kara's loft.

Feeling far more at ease than the last time she had crossed the threshold, Lena glanced around her and took in the feeling of safety this place had always given her ever since she had become friend with Kara.

The same feeling of safety Kara always gave her and that she allowed herself to feel again now that there weren't anger and pain plaguing her heart anymore, not towards Kara at least.

"Thanks," Lena said when Kara rid her of her coat.

"Do you want something to drink? I can make us a cup of tea."

Lena smiled and nodded her head up and down.

"Sit down." Kara said, not with the reserved guarded tone she had used the last time Lena was standing on the very same spot. But with a tone that made Lena feel that Kara was happy of her presence here, which finished lightening her heart as the familiar warmth that Kara provoked within her began to make her feel that she was slowly coming back home.

She sat down on the couch, on the side she was always sitting on every time she was here. She looked at Kara using her super-speed as she was making two cups of tea. She barely got the time to blink twice that Kara was already standing in front of her with two cups of tea in her hands.

With a warm smile, Kara handed one of the cups to Lena.

"Thanks," Lena said, feeling herself fall even more in love with the woman who made her feel stuff she had never felt before from the first moment they met.

Kara's smile widened as she sat down beside Lena. She pushed her glasses up her nose and took a cushion between her hands. She pressed it against her chest, which made Lena understand that even though Kara was smiling and acting as if everything was fine between them since she had accepted her apology, Kara wasn't as serene as she appeared.

Lena nibbled at her lips. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she was responsible for the pain Kara may feel. She knew she was responsible for the hurt she had inflicted on Kara. It had been her intention after all. To hurt like she had been hurt. But if she was honest with herself, she had never thought that Kara could have been truly hurt. Because from the moment she had found out that her best friend had been lying to her for years, Lena had started thinking that Kara didn't care about her at all. She probably would spend a long time feeling guilty for how wrong she had been this year.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I am so, so sorry." She felt the need to say.

"Lena," a small sigh escaped Kara's lips.

"I know that I could never make up for what I did to you, but I..." Her voice got caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly and exhaled. "But I truly am sorry for the way I hurt you. I would like to say that it wasn't my intention, but at the moment it was. Right now, I would give anything to go back in the past and do things right."

"What would you do if you could go back in the past?"

"I would come at you as soon as Lex told me you were Supergirl. You were right that day, in the fortress of solitude. That's what I should've done. But I was too hurt and too angry to even want to hear you explain yourself. I let these feelings set a rage within me. And this rage spread like a wildfire I couldn't stop. I wish I could change that but I can't." She swallowed thickly and fought back the tears that wanted to make their way out.

"Changing the past doesn't mean making the future better." Kara said in a tone that made Lena think that there was something hidden behind this statement.

She slightly furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"That can be hard to believe, but a couple of months ago, I got offered the chance to go back in the past and set things right between us. And I did try to make things right. I went back in the past multiple times to tell you I was Supergirl before Lex did."

Surprise crossed Lena's features as she learned this information that she would never have suspected. "What happened? I assume it didn't turn out as you wanted if we're still in that time."

"That's an understatement." Kara sighed. "Every time something terrible happened. Like I mean, one of us always ended up dead. I finally stopped trying after I got stuck in one of those alternate realities."

"What happened in this one?"

Kara shifted uncomfortably on her spot. "That doesn't matter."

"I'd like to know."

Kara let out a small sigh. "In this reality you and I were never friends. Not because I didn't want to be your friend but because after seeing all this horrific scenarios I started thinking that perhaps you would be better off without me. So no matter how much the idea of living in a world in which you never would have been in my life hurt me, I chose to do what I thought was right for you."

"Being without you in my life could never be right for me." Lena said, feeling her heart ache when she thought about a life without Kara, when she remembered the year they had spent apart. "What happened to us in this one?"

Kara looked down and pressed the cushion against her chest again.

"Kara," Lena said softly.

Kara cleared her throat. "I didn't save you the day Lex tried to kill you when you first moved to National City. Your mother turned you into Metallo and you took over the city with Reign and Brainy."

"What happened to you?"

"I, um, I came at you, I wanted to bring you back into the light but then you... you killed me with kryptonite, well, you started killing me. I managed to escape when..." She stopped when she saw the horrified and pained expression on Lena's face. She shifted closer to Lena and put a hand on her forearm. "Lena, it's all right, that wasn't really you. It wasn't real."

"It could have been real." Lena squeezed her eyes shut for one second and rubbed her forehead. She let out a shaky sigh. "Attacking you with kryptonite in the fortress of solitude is the thing I regret the most. I also can't stop thinking about what could've happened if I hadn't been able to disarm the cannons loaded with kryptonite."

"Wait," Kara frowned. "You didn't purposely attack me that day?"

"No, but that doesn't change what could've happened if I hadn't..." She trailed off and sighed.

"I'm all right." Kara said and rubbed softly Lena's forearm.

"How can you forgive me for that?" Lena asked with a brow furrowed in confusion as she tried not to think too much about how good that felt to have Kara touching her.

"Because when I think about it, I realize that we both screwed up just as much. And I... I need to forgive you if I want to move on from the pain I felt this year." Kara said, looking deeply at Lena. "I missed you so much, Lena. And to be honest, not having you in my life and thinking that you hated me actually hurt me more than you did. I know that if I push away, I'm gonna be hurt again and you would be hurt too. And I think that we have both suffered enough to last a lifetime, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Lena nodded.

Gently, Kara slid her hand into Lena's. "I forgive you, Lena. Now you gotta forgive yourself, all right?"

"All right." Lena smiled and gave Kara's hand a soft squeeze.

"I'm sorry for calling you a villain." Kara said.

"I deserved it."

"I don't agree with that. You made bad decisions, I won't deny this fact, but you... I mean, I never should have used this word. I know your worst fear is to turn out like the rest of your family. I should've thought about this and I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"I've been hurt when you told me you would treat me like any other villains, but... I don't need apology to forgive you for that, so it's all right."

They silently gazed at each other for long seconds as their hands were still joined in a tender embrace.

"Does that mean we're still best friends?" Lena felt the need to ask.

Kara smiled. "If you want us to be."

"I want that," Lena said as she tried not to think about how much she wanted to be more than best friends.

"That's probably gonna take some time to completely heal from what happened but I know that we can do it. Together." Kara gazed deeply at Lena.

Lena felt awestruck at the way Kara was looking at her, it made her feel how much she meant to Kara.

"I can't believe I've ever thought I didn't matter to you." she said quietly, more for herself than for Kara.

"What?" Kara slightly furrowed her brow.

"When I found out you were Supergirl. I thought that you hid the truth from me because you didn't trust me and because I didn't matter to you."

"Get that out of your mind ASAP, please, because you are one of the persons I love the most and I trust you with my life. No matter what happened this year, these facts haven't changed." Kara rubbed the back of Lena's hand with her thumb as she spoke.

This time Lena couldn't hold back the tears that were making their way into her eyes. She exhaled shakily as the tears began to slowly roll down her cheeks. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Kara."

Kara shifted closer to her best friend and looked deeply at her. "Please, Lena, stop. We both made mistakes. It's okay to talk about the past, so that we try to understand each other better and heal from the hurt we've been through. But I really do think that we need to stop apologizing for what we did. I know how much you're sorry and you know how much I'm sorry. Now we can focus on rebuilding our friendship and making it even stronger than it used to be."

"Okay," Lena breathed out. She gave Kara a tearful smile before quickly wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands.

"Come here," Kara said softly as she gently put an arm around her best friend.

New tears spilled out of Lena's eyes while Kara wrapped her in an embrace she had missed more than any words could express it. But this time, it wasn't tears of heartache that were making their way out. It was tears that expressed how relieved she was for finding her way back to Kara's arms. She held tight onto her best friend and leaned into the love and support she was being given without wondering if she deserved it. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to forget about everything else and focus solely on the warmth she felt through this embrace.

"We're gonna be all right, Lena. I promise." Kara said quietly as she rubbed slow circles over Lena's back. She closed her eyes and felt even deeper the love she had for her best friend as she nuzzled slightly her hair and smelled her probably very expensive perfume. She exhaled when she felt her best friend tighten her embrace around her. After so much time without hugging Lena, Kara felt that she was finally on her way to feel truly at home on Earth.

Although having everyone that truly mattered to her knowing her for who she really was comforted her, Kara felt a slight pain in her heart as she began fearing how much her friendship with Lena could be different from the one they had these past years. Her fear of changing the way Lena could treat her had been one of reasons Kara had held back telling her the truth for so long. That was something she had never talked to with anyone. But now that they were having a heart-to-heart, Kara felt ready to open up to her best friend like she had been wanting to do it for years.

She withdrew from the embrace as slowly as she could. "I need to tell you something, Lena." She took a deep calming breath. "It wasn't only to protect you that I didn't tell you I was Supergirl. Actually, it was mainly to protect myself. Because I was afraid that things would change between us once you would know that I'm Supergirl. I didn't want you to treat me differently."

"Why would I have treated you differently?"

"It's hard to explain, but... the thing is," Kara exhaled. "When I've arrived on Earth, I was trying so hard to fit in. I felt so alone. I couldn't use my powers and that was sometimes suffocating. Then, I've become Supergirl and for the first time since I was on Earth, I felt free. But then, as the time passed, I started to feel the heavy weight of what it means to be Supergirl pressing hard on my shoulders. I feel responsible for everything that goes wrong in this city. Because I am the one with super-powers, so that means I have to be the one who saves the situation all the time. I have to defeat every villain that decides to wreck-havoc on the city. I have to take care of everyone and protect everyone from harm. Not to mention that the people I love the most always find themselves in dangerous situations. I have to make sure nothing happens to my family. You are part of my family, Lena, in case you're still doubting it."

Lena smiled at Kara's declaration but she could feel that her best friend wasn't done opening up, so she stayed silent and slid a hand into Kara's.

Kara exhaled and entwined her fingers with Lena's. "What I'm trying to say is that most of the time I focus so much on being Supergirl that I often forget how to be Kara. That I don't even know how to be Kara sometimes. But when I'm with you... I mean, when I was with you when you didn't know I was Supergirl, it felt different. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like... every time I was spending time with you, you were bringing me back to myself without knowing it. You made me feel that being Kara was as important as being Supergirl. You made me feel that Kara was even better than Supergirl. You are the reason I haven't lost a huge part of myself. Do you remember when you bought CatCo?"

Lena nodded her head up and down.

Kara smiled slightly. "At that moment, I was so done with being Kara, I thought all that mattered was being Supergirl, I even quit my dream job to make sure nothing got in the way of what I considered to be the only important thing in my life. But once again, you brought me back to myself. You saved me without realizing it. I'm not sure everything I said makes any sense, but I didn't tell you I was Supergirl mainly because I didn't want to lose that. Because I was afraid of losing myself and because I wanted you to keep seeing Kara without thinking about Supergirl."

Kara wiped with her sleeves the tears that she hadn't even realized had fallen until she felt a taste of salt in her mouth. She sniffled and exhaled.

Lena softly took both of Kara's hands in hers and gazed deeply at her. "I understand what you mean. I can't understand what you feel but I know what you mean. I promise you that nothing has to change between us. I will always be there to remind you that being Kara is important. But more than that, I want to help you reconcile these two parts of yourself. Kara Danvers and Kara Zor-El are both wonderful parts of yourself and I know you can't be openly both of them with most people. But you are safe to be completely yourself with me. You don't have to choose between being Kara or Supergirl. You are both. And that's what makes you the most incredible person I have ever met."

Kara gave Lena a tearful smile that expressed how much she was happy and relieved to hear these words.

"I even promise you that I'm gonna try not to put myself in danger. Not too much at least." Lena said.

Kara let out a soft laugh. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

Lena smiled and slid up a hand to Kara's cheek. "You always take care of everyone, Kara. Let me take care of you, please."

Kara let out a hearty chuckle. "How about we take care of each other?"

Lena smiled brightly, showing off cute dimples that Kara wanted to kiss softly. "I can work with that."

Kara smiled as she took her glasses off and put them on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Lena." Kara squeezed gently Lena's hand.

Lena smiled at her best friend and snaked an arm around her before pulling her closer.

Kara exhaled as she allowed herself to fall into Lena's arms.

Lena closed her eyes and tightened her embrace around her best friend as she rubbed softly her back. She kissed Kara's temple when they withdrew slowly.

Kara leaned in and rested her forehead with Lena's. "Thank you for coming back to me." she said almost in a whisper.

Lena brought her hands to Kara's cheeks. "Thank you for letting me do it."

Kara slightly pulled away and smiled at her best friend.

Lena smiled back until she spun her head to the coffee table and saw the still full cups of tea set on it. "I think the tea must be cold by now."

"I can fix that." Kara grinned and took the two cups in her hands before using her heat-vision to warm up the liquid inside of them. She handed one to Lena.

Lena smiled as she brought the cup to her lips and took her first sip.

"How is that?" Kara asked.

"Good," Lena said with a smile. "Are you using your heat-vision every time you need to heat something?"

"I don't use it every time, but honestly, that's the only way I don't burn what I'm trying to make. I swear every time I try to use the oven, something goes wrong."

Lena laughed at this and sweet flutters took over Kara's chest at hearing this sound that she had missed so much.

Lighter conversations happened for about one hour as they reconnected with each other until they decided to watch a movie.

Kara exhaled once again when she told Lena why The Wizard Of Oz was her favorite movie. After years of hiding part of herself with one of the persons she loved the most in the world, she realized now, how good and freeing that felt not to have to be careful about everything she said or did. Lena had been right earlier, she didn't always have to choose between being Kara or Supergirl. She was both. And with those who knew who she really was, she could openly be herself without fear. She was free to simply be Kara.

Lena smiled as she took Kara's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze and said to Kara that she would love to watch this movie with her.

Kara beamed and used her super-speed to go search a soft blanket for them to settled under.

Without even realizing it, they quickly found themselves being huddled up together on the couch.

Kara laid her head on Lena's shoulder and put her arms around her as she snuggled deeper against her body. She felt safer than she had ever been and wondered how she had been able to spent so much time away from Lena's warmth. She exhaled and wished with all her might that she never had to go through a life without Lena Luthor by her side.

Lena smiled and wrapped her arms around Kara. Feeling her heart flutter in the best of way, she held on tight to her best friend and kissed the top of her head. She had no idea if her non-platonic feelings were returned and she didn't want to hope too much. But she couldn't ignore the feelings that swirled within her and made her feel that she and Kara were meant to be together. She chose not to act of that right now though. She had barely gotten Kara back in her life and she didn't want to do or say something that could cause them to drift away from each other again.

At the end of the movie, Kara gathered enough courage to pull away from Lena's warm embrace. She turned off the TV when Lena rose from the couch.

"I should go." Lena said even though she didn't want to go.

Kara felt her heart twinge in disappointment. She chewed on her lips for a brief second and cleared her throat. "You could stay. If you want."

"I, um... I wouldn't want to intrude. I mean, it's late and... you probably need some rest after the long day we had."

"Yeah, I need some rest, but I'm... I don't think I could rest without you by my side." Kara felt a slight blush warm her cheeks as she told that. "You don't have to stay if you need to be alone. I understand. But if you want..." She trailed off.

"I don't want to be alone actually." Lena exhaled.

Kara's face lit up with a thousand-watt smile. "So you're staying?"

"I'm staying." Lena nodded with a fond smile.

"Let me find you a pajama." Kara said as she walked to the bedroom. She used her super-speed to scroll through her drawers and pulled a pair of comfy pants and a loose top out of one of them. "This should fit." She told when she returned to stand in front of her best friend.

"Thanks," Lena smiled before heading to the bathroom to get changed.

When she returned from the bathroom, Lena found Kara lying on the couch under a soft blanket.

Kara slightly straightened her stance and smiled at her best friend.

Lena quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

Kara sat up and the blanket slipped down to the floor. "I, um... I wasn't sure if you were okay with us sharing the same bed, so I..." She trailed off.

"I am more than okay with us sharing the same bed, Kara." Lena smiled. "If you're comfortable with that, of course."

Kara smiled and got up. She picked up the blanket and put it on the couch before heading to her bedroom.

Feeling her heart flutter strongly at the thought that she was going to spend the night close to Kara, a smile swept over Lena's face as she followed her best friend.

They both slithered under the sheets at the same time.

Although Lena was used to sleep in a bigger bed, she couldn't think of a bed in which she had felt as safe and warm as right now. While Kara realized how much her bed was much more comfortable with Lena lying beside her.

Their bodies were so close that they could feel each other's warmth spread through them.

Oblivious to each other's feelings, Kara and Lena both secretly wished to spend every night together.

In the dim light of her bedroom, Kara looked at Lena who had fallen fast asleep. She smiled and leaned closer to her best friend. She kissed softly Lena's cheek and switched her position to lay on her back. She closed her eyes and focused on the sound of Lena's breathing and heartbeat.

Kara's eyes fluttered open when she felt Lena getting closer to her and her heart skipped a couple of beats when Lena laid her head on her chest as she draped an arm around her. She smiled at how good and normal it felt to be like this. Almost as if it was a routine they did every night. She kissed the top of Lena's head and nuzzled her hair until she fell into the most peaceful slumber she ever had.