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Kara falls into bed somewhere near dawn. The window is open, the cool breeze of a Kansas spring night drifting into the room, and she can hear the animals in the barn waking up. It's all so damn normal it's difficult to imagine that she just leveled a city block in Gotham, helping Batgirl foil Poison Ivy's latest scheme.
"This is weird," she mutters into her pillow. Because it is weird. Her whole life is weird and no one's going to tell her otherwise.
Certainly not the woman who falls into bed beside her.
"Totally," Barbara agrees as she flings an arm across her back, cuddling close to press her face into Kara's neck. "But good weird." She teases at Kara's ear, nuzzling. "Fight off a supervillain then sneak back to your old room? Inspired thinking, Kent."
Kara laughs, tilting her head to give Barbara room to play. She can't help herself. Barbara's warm, sweaty from the uniform and the fight, and so impossibly human and wonderful that Kara's almost afraid she isn't real.
Except she is, because Kara can also feel the rasp of the bandage where it's wrapped around Barbara's arm. She turns her head and is just able to see said bandage. "How's the arm?"
Barbara shrugs. "Itchy." Her hand shifts, drawing backward over Kara's skin, fingers light on her skin. "I'll live. Ivy didn't get me yet."
Humming a noncommittal tone, Kara shifts onto her side and faces Barbara. She's not used to being in this position; worrying about someone else. Worrying about teammates is one thing, but worrying about Barbara is a step beyond that. It's closed throats and frozen breaths, heartbeats caught between moments, and the bottomless terror that comes with seeing Barbara launch herself into the air with a dozen of Ivy's minions closing in from all sides.
"Hey," Barbara shifts closer, head on Kara's arm. "Don't look like that." She curls her fingers into Kara's hair, drawing her close to kiss her. She's not trying to start anything because there's no heat in it yet. It's meant to reassure and Kara would probably be offended if not for the part where it's working. "Scared is not a good look for you," she murmurs when they part.
"Bleeding isn't a good one for you," Kara says, closing her eyes. "Neither is the infirmary." They've both been checked out on the Watchtower. They've had the multiple blood tests that are mandatory with Poison Ivy. Kara knows that Barbara's fine just as Barbara knows that Kara's fine, but that just means they have the what ifs to worry about instead.
That's a problem. Kara has way too many what ifs. She's been trained to deal with the possible scenarios. She knows how to anticipate how it might go wrong and adapt strategy to prevent those outcomes, but it's hard to stop. Even when they're home, in bed, and the closest enemy to be found is the battered alarm clock ticking away on the nightstand.
Barbara's lips brush her forehead. "You're doing it again."
"Can't help it," Kara opens her eyes and smiles. "I don't like seeing anything happen to you." She thinks she gets it now, at least in part, why Clark had been so adamant about sending her to Smallville with his parents. "Don't suppose you'd reconsider a life in small-town America? Possibly a new wardrobe based on bubble-wrap and kevlar?"
Barbara laughs. She kisses Kara again, but this time there's more heat in it. "As fun as it would be to have sex with your aunt and uncle three doors down..."
Kara grins. "I thought you liked living dangerously?"
"There's dangerous and then there's Martha Kent. Batman is afraid of that woman."
He is. Kara's seen it. She tried for photographic proof, but mysteriously the pictures didn't turn out. Still, Batman is absolutely afraid of Aunt Martha and that's never, ever going to get old.
"Okay," Kara says, "When they go into town then?"
Barbara considers it. The sun is rising behind her, the warm light filtering through the window to light up her hair, and Kara's breath catches as she waits for Barbara's answer. God, she's gorgeous. Kara reaches out, twirling one lock of hair around her finger, and smiles when Barbara catches hold of her hand and draws it to her mouth for a kiss.
"Deal, huh?" Kara says, entranced by the sight.
"Mmhmm," Barbara tucks her head beneath Kara's chin, arms sliding around Kara's waist. "Absolutely."
She's exhausted and it doesn't take long for her to drift off. It'll be a while before Kara joins her, but that's fine. She doesn't need as much sleep anyway. She has what she needs in her arms and lord help the person that tries to take Barbara from her.
They'll have one hell of a fight on their hands.