Fighting for You

Chapter 19

Lena and Kara take a bath together. Kara's got her foot up on the side of the tub to keep the cut out of the water. Lena's carefully keeping her hands pointed away, but Kara just leans back heavily into Lena's torso, resting her eyes. They both enjoy the silence and peace this little sanctuary offers. Alex left some time ago after pizza, promising to be back in the morning. They all needed to take a break.

Lena lets out a heavy sigh, which stirs Kara. "Should we talk about it now?"

"Hmm?" Lena hums in response.

"About our separate projects..."

Lena lets out another deep sigh. "Darling..."

Kara waits, but Lena doesn't seem to know what to say. So, Kara does what she does and asks questions. "Do you really want to shift focus to protect us or is it something else?"

"I genuinely believe that curing you is our best chance against Lex and his Supergirl. Even if you find out where my magic is from how does that help me control it? I wouldn't be able to practice and figure it out in time..."

"But?" Kara prods softly.

"But... curing you means instant powers. Powers that you have control over and so you can protect yourself. Right now... you have no protection. Lex's Supergirl could come flying in here, and the odds are that she would win."

"Do you think she would at least let me get dress first?"

Lena practically whines, "Karaaaa."

It doesn't take long for them to both start giggling at the prospect. When they both settle, Kara takes a moment to mull over Lena's point. "I see where you are coming from..."

"But?" Lena prods back.

"And at the same time, I've already lost to her. Even before I lost my powers, I lost. You didn't. You scared her off and actually injured her."

"We caught them both off guard. It was more luck than skill or an equal battlefield. She underestimated me, but now we don't have that element of surprise. Strategically, you having your powers back would be a bigger shock the next time they strike, which is who knows when. Tactically, you are the best bet."

The only sounds is shifting water as Kara fidgets. She thinks about Lena's points. They are sound reasoning, but it still scares Kara that she's lost before.

"Darling," Lena says gently, unsure how the blonde will respond. "Can you honestly say that your drive to research this... ability... of mine is solely for self-defense? Or is it to get me more comfortable with touching you with my hands?"

Kara suddenly stills. She does have to think about her answer before responding. "Honestly? It's a little bit of both..."

"I- I'm sorry," Lena's voice breaks slightly. "I'm sorry I can't give you the comfort you need right now, but I'm just so worried about you."

"I know, baby. I know. You don't need to apologize." Kara does her best to try to make eye contact. She settles for reaching behind her to rest her hand against Lena's cheek. Kara takes a moment, feeling Lena's tears hit her thumb. "We'll shift our focus tomorrow. Best case, Alex and I can split our time between looking into both things."

Lena nuzzles and presses a kiss to Kara's palm. "Thank you."

Kara nuzzles her own cheek into Lena's breast. They sit in this comforting space for a while longer before Lena whispers in Kara's ear, "Come on. Let's curl up in bed."

"Are you going to stay? I know after last night..." Kara trails off.

Lena kisses the top of Kara's head. "We both know that you aren't going to let me stay away from you. Even if I went to the guest room, you would just sneak in."