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Kara watched with delight as Lena’s eyes lit up with admiration and awe as she told her how courageous she thought Kara was. Finally, after so much pain, so much back and forth, the betrayals on both sides, the fights, the reconciliations and then the hellish separation, the two of them were finally together again, cozy on Kara’s couch, chatting easily about anything and everything.
There were no secrets, no boundaries, no careful sidestepping of Lena’s questions so that she wouldn’t accidentally reveal her identity. Everything was on the table now, both of them showing their hands. And that was most readily evidenced by Lena’s newest revelation that she was, in fact, a witch.
Which, like, holy shit if that wasn’t the coolest thing Kara had ever heard. Of course, it made sense. Lena had always been special. She was brilliant, courageous, cunning, so why shouldn’t she also be magical?
And with the way she was gazing at Kara right now, eyes burning with unspoken thoughts and desires, something certainly felt magical. Kara felt a burst of affection for the younger woman, followed by a wave of hope. Together, with her powers and Lena’s magic -- not to mention her genius intellect -- they would be able to defeat Nyxly. Kara was sure of it!
A swell of pride washed over Kara and she couldn't help the ecstatic grin she gave Lena. Of course Lena was the key. How many times had she saved them all?
A jet of sharp, piercing pain shot through her temples and lodged itself in her forehead, followed by a wave of vicious anger. Nyxly’s face swam into her vision, mouth twisted in rage, eyes black and cold.
“Kara! Kara, are you alright?! Is it happening again?” Lena’s voice sounded far away, and Kara held the bridge of her nose until the pain passed and Nyxly’s angry visage faded from her sight.
“It’s Nyxly,” she gasped. “She’s angry. Really angry…”
She shook her head, partially to clear it, but also because it just didn’t make sense. Nyxly had the totem. She had passed her gauntlet. What did she have to be angry about? Was this a good thing for the SuperFriends? Or did this just make her more dangerous? The thought sent a chill down Kara’s spine. She turned to Lena again and saw the wheels turning in her brilliant mind, probably running through the same exact thoughts. She didn’t need to voice her fears aloud. She knew Lena understood.
“Well,” Lena breathed, “whatever it is, we’re not going to deal with it tonight. Why don’t I get out of your hair so you can get some rest? You’ve had a long day.”
Kara nodded hesitantly. “Yeah…”
Lena began to stir, uncrossing her legs and smoothing out her clothes.
“...or you could stay.”
The stirring stopped and Lena turned to her in surprise.
“You -- you want me to spend the night?”
“If you want to,” Kara said quickly. “I know it’s been awhile, but I still have all of your things. They’re still in your drawer.”
Lena’s eyes widened and Kara could have sworn she saw the glistening of tears.
“I -- I still have a drawer?”
Kara softened. “Of course you do. You’ll always have a place here.”
The “with me” was implied, but it was unnecessary to say it. Lena knew what she meant. She always knew. Lena swallowed hard and gave Kara a gentle watery smile.
“Okay...I’ll stay then.”
It actually surprised Kara how easily they fell back into old habits. They traded places at the sink as they brushed their teeth in tandem, and Kara quickly grabbed up some soft pajamas and fluffy socks for Lena while she used the bathroom, holding them to her body for a moment so that her extraterrestrial heat would warm them, just as she used to.
They pulled back the covers together and climbed in on their respective sides just as they used to, and as they started to fall asleep, Lena unconsciously scooted toward the middle of the bed, pushing her butt into Kara the way she always did, but tonight it felt different to Kara. She was so happy Lena was here. So happy that they had overcome all of their challenges to come back to the place they had been, but even stronger for it.
The affection that had been building up in her chest all night crashed over her and she wrapped her arms around the sleeping genius next to her and pulled her tighter against her body, her breath tickling the small ebony hairs against Lena’s neck. She was just so happy in this moment, so content. For the first time since she’d returned from the Phantom Zone, she didn’t feel alone. Lena was here, she was real and warm and soft. Not even Nyxly could hurt her now.