#chevie

She reached out and wrapped a hand around Charlie’s forearm, tugging gently until Charlie met her gaze. “Hey. Forget about that for now and come lie down with me? Please?”

For a moment, Charlie just stared at her, expression unreadable; then she nodded, setting the trash down on the nightstand and allowing Stevie to pull her onto the bed until she was lying with her back flush against Stevie’s chest.

Stevie kissed the back of Charlie’s head and buried her nose in the latter’s hair. “Thank you for taking care of me,” she murmured.

“You’re welcome,” came Charlie’s quiet reply.

“You gonna let me return the favor?”

She felt Charlie stiffen in her arms. “I’m not injured.”

“No,” said Stevie, softly, “but you’re hurting. You’ve been hurting all day, ever since you came home.” She pressed another kiss to Charlie’s head and started running her hand up and down Charlie’s side the way she knew Charlie liked. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours?”

Charlie let out a ragged breath, followed by a sniffle, and Stevie pulled her closer, fumbling until she found Charlie’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

At her words, Charlie began to shake with silent sobs, and each one was like a knife straight to Stevie’s gut. Gently, she rolled Charlie over so they were facing one another and pulled her into a tight embrace. Charlie came willingly, wrapping her arms around Stevie as though they were about to be dragged apart and burying her face in Stevie’s neck, now crying in earnest. Stevie stroked her hair, waiting.

Eventually, Charlie began to calm. Her breathing became more regular, and the tension in her body noticeably waned. Stevie smiled. She moved her hand from Charlie’s hair to the small of her back and traced a reassuring circle. “There, now. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Charlie’s breath was warm and wet against her skin. “I love you.”

“I know. I love you too.”

“God, babe, I’m so sorry.” Charlie pulled back just enough so that they could look at one another, her eyes wet and tired. She reached up to gently brush her fingertips over Stevie’s bandage. “I shouldn’t have made us work this stupid case. It could’ve been...you might’ve...”

Stevie leaned forward and silenced her with a kiss. “It’s okay,” she breathed as they drew apart. “I’m okay. And I’m sorry, too. I thought maybe you just needed to get back into the swing of things, but I should’ve pushed back. It’s been a rough past couple of days.”

Charlie sighed and closed her eyes. “Yeah. I just...That day, in the kitchen, I really thought I’d lost you, you know?” She bit her lip, sliding her hand down from Stevie’s forehead to trace the edge of a cheekbone. “And it felt...it felt a lot like losing Kara.”

Stevie nodded. She didn’t know much about the woman Charlie had loved before her, other than that she had died horribly in the early days of the apocalypse back in their home universe. Charlie didn’t talk often about Kara. Stevie got the sense it was because doing so hurt too much. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I hate that you had to feel that again.”

“It’s just...When Kara died, a part of me died with her. Then we came to this world, and it was like losing her in a whole new way. I had to live in a universe where everything she and I had together never happened, because in this reality, we never even met. So I told myself that was it, I was done with love, because what was the point, you know?” She gave Stevie a watery smile. “And then I fell in love with you anyway.”

Stevie grinned. “Yeah, well. I am charming as hell.”

That earned a chuckle. “Yeah, and humble, too.” Charlie’s smile faded, and she looked at Stevie as though she was trying to memorize every feature of her face. “You’re amazing, and I’m so lucky to have you, and one minute we were talking and the next you were just gone, and...and...” She looked down, her lower lip beginning to tremble.

“Hey.” Stevie hooked a thumb under Charlie’s chin and tilted it up until their gazes met again. “Look at me. I look gone to you? Nah.” She smiled softly and swiped a lingering tear from the corner of Charlie’s eye. “I’m right here. And I promise I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

Charlie kissed her. “I don’t want you to,” she murmured. “Not now, not ever.”