Her neck is sore. And her blanket has fallen to the floor. And the TV is still on, the familiar jingle of How I Met Your Mother pulling her awake. Slowly, Kara opens her eyes to the early morning haze, where the sun is just barely starting to chase away the dark. There's just enough light for her to glance over at Querl at the other end of the couch. He's asleep, slumped against the couch cushions, breathing deeply. His hand rests on her bare feet, holding her toes. She must have stretched out and laid them in his lap.

He lets out a sigh and rolls his head to the left, giving her a full view of him.

I shouldn't take up so much room, she slowly starts to pull her feet off his lap, but Querl lightly squeezes her toes, holding them tighter as if to say stay. Kara freezes, watching him. A prickling excitement spreads over her, creating goose pimples all over her arms. Maybe one of his intellects is still awake? And maybe it wants her to know that he's perfectly fine with their current position? She doesn't know, but she doesn't dare move her feet again.

The alarm on her phone goes off and Kara scrambles to find the device in the crevices of her couch and turn it off. "Shut up, shut up, shut up," she mutters as she fumbles with her pink iPhone and finally swipes the SNOOZE option for the alarm. It's too late, however; Querl runs a hand over his face, stifling a yawn, and blinks his eyes open. He takes in his surroundings before finding Kara stretched across the couch, her feet still resting in his lap, his hand still on top of them.

Kara pushes her mass of hair out of her face. "Good morning," her voice is a little raspy. "Did you sleep okay?"

He nods. "Yes. I slept very well." As if absentmindedly, his thumb rubs circles over the arch of her right foot. "Most of my twelve thought tracks were able to fully rest."

Before she starts blushing, she breaks eye contact by reaching for a glass of water on her coffee table. "You could have slept in my bed."

His brows shoot up. "Uh-uhm, what?"

She giggles. "While I slept on the couch! You only had that corner to yourself; I took up all the room."

"Oh," He relaxes again. "Honestly, I was so tired last night, I could have slept anywhere."

"If you want, you can move to my bed now and catch up on more sleep. You clearly need it. I'll get started on some breakfast for us."

"No, I'm fine. But," he runs a hand over his face, covering a yawn. "If you would like some help in the kitchen -"

"No, no," Kara waves him off and gets off the couch, stretching her arms up over her head. "Lay back, rest. It's no big deal; I'll bring over some coffee when it's ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. And seriously, you can use my bed if you want. This thing will hurt your neck. Trust me, I just slept on it."

He brings his legs up and shifts so that he's lying on his back, one arm tucked behind his head. "I'll take the 78.53% risk."

Kara smiles as she takes the pillow she'd been using and stretches it to him. "Here, this will help."

He takes the pillow and tucks it behind his head. "Your pillows smell pleasant," he murmurs. "It wasn't like that when I was here last time."

"Last time you said you were looking for mold or mildew." She smiles again. Another yawn racks through him. "I am so telling Mon-El to lay off you."

"It's not his fault," Querl mutters quietly. "My responsibilities have required more attention this week." He shuts his eyes.

Kara pads across her loft to the kitchen area and sits at the table to check her phone. As soon as she unlocked her phone, the bright read notification icon in the top corner of her SMS app told her she had 6 texts waiting for her.

LENA LUTHOR 5:13 AM

Monday meeting at 9, coffee after? Its been ages since we've caught up.

Well, that was true. Lena had sort of been put on the back burner lately. A coffee date with her best friend sounded wonderful. She texts back: Why wait until Monday? Are you free tomorrow?

The next five texts were all from Alex.

ALEX (SISTER, DUH) 6:01 AM

Hey

So, I probably should've given you the heads up on Brainy coming over, sorry!

How'd it go though? Did you confess your undying love?

Did HE confess undying love?

I need to know so I can pick out my Maid of Honor dress.

Kara rolls her eyes and simply types: You're the worst

ALEX (SISTER, DUH) 8:23 AM

Is he still there?

KARA BO BARA 8:24 AM

Yeah. Why? He's sleeping.

ALEX (SISTER, DUH) 8:26 AM

I will need full details of what happened last night. As your older sister, I have a right to know what his intentions are with my Kara.

She rolls her eyes and doesn't bother responding. Rising from her chair, she sets to work filling her simple Mr. Coffee drip machine with ground beans and fresh water. As for breakfast, frozen waffles and spotty bananas will have to do. She makes a mental note to make it to the farmer's market this weekend. With nothing to do but wait, she makes her way towards her bathroom, a shower in mind. She spares a glance at Querl, smirking at his complete relaxation, and steps into her bathroom for a quick shower.

Twenty minutes later and she's clean, moisturized, has brushed her teeth, dressed for a cozy Saturday, and pouring herself a cup of fresh coffee. She tops her drink off with a splash of heavy cream and a spoonful of honey, then sprinkles a bit of cinnamon on top. The first sip of coffee is always the best, and Kara closes her eyes to savor the flavor, letting out a soft "ahhhh," in satisfaction. The sun shines through her windows, and Kara gets to work pulling the curtains back. Once done, she moves on to watering her plants, followed by other menial tasks to allow Querl a few moments more of sleep before she skips over to offer him some coffee.

She leans over the back of the couch, gently shaking his shoulder. "Hey, Querl? The coffee is ready." He makes a little grunt of a response and Kara smiles. "Is that a 'yes' or a 'leave me alone'?" She shakes him just a tiny bit rougher.

He blinks his eyes open, bringing them to focus on her. He doesn't say anything, just stares at her with this adoration, like she's hung the moon or walks with Rao or something. It makes her nervous while also makes her heartbeat feel like it's in some sort of race. A sleepy, soft smile spreads across his face and suddenly everything is warm and she wants to crawl over the back of this couch and lay on top of him and forget that anything else exists outside of her loft.

She settles for whispering, "Good morning."

"Good morning," he answers in a low voice.

"There's coffee," she restates, jutting her thumb over her shoulder towards the kitchen. "I have half and half, if you want some. And you're welcomed to my shower, if you want one. I mean, can you take a shower? You won't like, short circuit, right?"

Querl chuckles, "No. I won't; thank you for your concern." He stands, allowing himself a stretch. "I'll take some of that coffee, though. Then let you get to your weekend."

Kara blurts, "or you could stay!"

"Oh, uh," Querl blinks at her, a faint hint of shock across his face. "Are you sure? I understand that Saturday's are typically used for leisure. I wouldn't want to intrude on that."

Kara smiles at him. "You wouldn't be. Really. Hang out for the day and relax. We don't have to go anywhere. We can just veg out."

He shifts his weight from foot to foot, looking both anxious and excited. "Perhaps one day away from my lab would be restorative."

"Yes, exactly!" Her smile widens. "I have board games and movies and we can order food. Oh! But first, breakfast!" She spins around and heads to her freezer, pulling out a box of Eggos. Within minutes, they have plates full of toasted waffles topped with sliced banana and syrup.

Kara pours coffee in Querl's mug before refilling her own and leads him to the small balcony outside her largest window. There are two foldable wooden chairs, as well as a small table between them. Plants of various species decorate the small space and a string of white Christmas lights creates a netting of twinkles above them. Kara prides herself on this small haven. It's high enough that she has a marvelous view of National City's skyline and the city's largest park a few miles away. The bike paths and vast grassy lawns trail along a decently sized lake where a few boaters enjoy a day on the water. The trees of the park are large and romantic, offering lots of covered shade for picnics and napping. The view of the park was why she filled out the rental application. She loved being witness to this sliver of heaven whenever she sipped her morning coffees or evening teas. It provided a calmness she longed for after a hard day at Catco or a grueling battle with whoever Supergirl was facing. It reminded her that life could be simple and peaceful and beautiful.

"I, uhm," Querl clears his throat. "I'm not sure if I should…" He trails off, looking nervously around.

"It's okay," Kara tries to sound reassuring. "We're on the twenty-fifth floor, no one will see you from up here."

"Your neighbors?"

Kara shakes her head. "I have a corner apartment, so only the one neighbor. He's currently backpacking in Cambodia. He won't be home for another six weeks. You're safe out here."

Inhaling a slightly shaky breath, Querl steps out onto the balcony and joins her at the little table. He sets his coffee upon the table and balances his plate on his lap. Together they quietly eat their breakfast and watch the world below them.

"This is nice," he says softly. Kara glances at him, her heart fluttering when she realizes he's staring at her park fondly.

"It's my favorite way to start the day," she informs him. She reaches for her mug and takes a delicious sip of coffee. "What is your home like?"

"Which one?" Querl picks up his own mug and drinks from it. He had denied any offer of sugar or cream when Kara asked, claiming the bitter taste is why he likes coffee. "I have rooms at the Legion Headquarters."

"No apartment for you?"

He gives a small smile. "No apartment for me. I find it easiest to stay close to my lab. I often even sleep there."

Kara rolls her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you you're a workaholic?"

"Everyday." He shrugs and takes another bite of his waffles.

"And your other home?"

He takes a longer time to answer, keeping his eyes downcast. "I haven't been to Colu in years. I don't know if I should even consider it a home anymore."

Kara frowns, unsure how to ask for further information. She wanted to know him, to make him feel comfortable enough to speak freely with her about his life and the fears that plague him. It wasn't difficult to see that Querl quietly carried his burdens close at heart, that he was more comfortable avoiding discussions regarding himself than revealing too much. Perhaps a lifetime ago he'd been able to open up, but not now, not after whatever had happened to him had so wholly marked him.

He clears his throat, "So what's on the agenda for today? I am at your mercy for this veg out experiment. Though, I will inform you that I am not a fan of brussel sprouts."

Kara giggles, letting him change the subject. "Well, I do need to water the plants out here. I'll grab us some more coffee and my watering can. And then, I don't know, I figured we could soak up the sun for a little longer? Enjoy the peace?"

He smiles at her, his voice gentle as he answers, "I'd like that."

Quick as can be, she provides more coffee for them and sets to work quietly watering her collection of green responsibilities. Querl watches her with amusement, enjoying his coffee and the gentle morning breeze.

"So," Kara says over her shoulder. "How does the twenty-first century compare to the thirty-first?"

Querl shrugs as he chews his last bite of waffle. "Obviously the technology here is atrocious."

"Oh, obviously," Kara giggles.

"Society is still the same. People learn how to coexist, or not. There's hate crimes and violence back home, just as there is here."

Kara refrains from asking him if that was why he hid away in his lab. Had he been a victim of a violent hate crime in his own time? Had he been hurt or scared? Had someone cornered him and tried to attack?

She felt her metal watering can dent where she gripped it too tightly. Blinking, she lets out a shaky breath and swallows. It wouldn't do any good to dwell over what Querl possibly experienced in his past. He was here now, and she and the D.E.O. were doing their absolute best to keep human-alien relations as peaceful as possible.

She clears her throat, "So what can you tell me about the future? Anything cool?"

Querl shakes his head. "I can't tell you anything, I'm sorry. The timeline is too fragile and what information I relay to you could have horrendous results."

Kara snorts, "You sound like Harrison Wells." She crosses in front of him to tend to the rest of her thirsty plants.

"Is that a friend of yours?" Querl settles back in his chair, holding his mug at his chest.

Shrugging, Kara reaches up to water the vine she had hanging in the corner of her small deck. "He's more of a colleague. He's from another Earth. Actually, the Earth he currently lives on isn't even his home Earth."

"Ah," Querl smiles and takes a sip of coffee. "So you know about the multiverse."

"Yep," she returns his smile. "I have friends on Earth-1. Or 'Earth Prime', as they like to call it. Apparently this Earth is Earth-3. They have a bunch of Superheroes on Earth-1, most of whom I've gotten to know fairly well."

"How are you able to travel between Earths?"

Kara shrugs. "My friend Barry - he's known as The Flash. His team was able to create a portal thingy that looks like a TV remote. It's really handy when I need to pop over to help them out or just want a little vacation. I was just there for Barry's wedding, actually."

There's a twinkle in Querl's eye, which only prompts her to tell him more about her friends. "You'd like The Legends, I think. Or at least, you'd like their time ship. They call it the Waverider, but there's also this incredible AI named Gideon. It's like she can create or simulate or predict anything. It can be a little intense. I just hope she doesn't go all 2001 Space Odyssey and turn into Hal."

"I have no idea what that means," Querl chuckles.

"Don't worry," Kara faces him. "I'll add it to our movie list."

He drinks again. "You enjoy being a superhero."

Kara sets the watering can down and reclaims her seat. "Mhm. I'm happy to make a difference."

"You've made an extraordinary difference, Kara." Querl sets his empty mug on the small table between them. "What you do is inspirational."

"I don't know about that," She says with indifference. "As far as I know, Clark and I are the only superheroes on this Earth. We don't seem to have inspired anyone else to put on a cape and help in the fight against evil."

"Give it time," he reassures her. "You already know that your selflessness and bravery is legendary in my time. To be frank, it is an honor to have met you. I hold you in the highest regard and can only hope that I live up to even a small measure of what you expect of me. I-"

"Please don't," She cuts him off. She looks down at her hands resting in her lap. A nervousness has swept over her at the attention. "I'm just a person. I'm not some God or something."

Querl snaps his mouth shut. "Oh," he gulps. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"I know," she nods her head and looks up at him with an anxious expression. "I just…I don't want you to think of me as this ideal hero. It's just so much pressure. I don't do this for glory. I do it because it's the right thing to do."

He nods, understanding. "I'm sorry."

They sit in awkward silence, trying to move past Querl's excited awe and Kara's rejection of it. After a handful of strained moments, Kara clears her throat and offers him the shower again, just as an excuse to get out of the fog of uncomfortableness and start over.

"I, uhm," She strains. "I appreciate the sentiment. Just so you know."

It's enough, for now. The smile he gives her is small and shy, but Kara feels that they've past the starting line. They've opened up to each other, fractionally but it still counts. And she can be happy with that.

***O***O***O***

Despite his moment of doofy adoration, Querl was having a nice time vegging out. After his shower, which had done wonders for his sore shoulders and neck - Kara was absolutely right about her couch being uncomfortable to sleep on - he'd hesitantly renters the main living spaces of her loft and finds Kara sitting at the dining table. She scrolls on her iPhone, then types something out before realizing he is standing awkwardly near the couch.

"Hey!" She exclaims, a bit more peppy than a mere twenty minutes ago. "Feel better?"

Querl nods. "Clean." He refrains from mentioning that he's still wearing yesterdays clothes. He'd smelled his shirt and pants before putting them back on, making sure that there wasn't an offensive odor.

Kara gestures to the seat across from her. "Pop a squat. Wanna play cards?"

Biting back a chuckle at her chosen phrase, Querl sits across from her. "I should warn you. I am very good at games."

She rolls her eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you are. But, I'll have you know that I am the reigning champion of Slap Jack. My hands are too fast."

"Well, I would assume so, given your advantages," He smirks at her.

Kara already has a deck at the table and begins shuffling the cards. "I won't use my super speed, promise. I'll even pinky swear."

He frowns at her. "What does that mean?"

She giggles and stops her shuffling to hold out the smallest digit on her right hand. "Hook yours around mine."

Eyeing her with suspicion, he does.

"Now stick your thumb out and kiss it."

"What? Why?"

Again, she laughs. "To seal it, duh. Come on." She leans forward and gives her thumb a quick peck with her lips. "If you don't, then the promise doesn't mean anything."

"Is this a binding contract?"

Kara's shoulders shake with her glee. "It's more like a silly thing between friends. But I do uphold my promises when a pinky swear has been done."

"I see." He leans forward and kisses his thumb. "There. Now if you cheat, what do I get?"

She pulls her hand back and returns to shuffling. "Just my first born child."

"What?!"

Kara throws her head back and guffaws. "I'm kidding, Querl!" She starts dividing the cards evenly between them. "Now, do you know how to play Slap Jack?"

"Teach me," he smirks.

She does, going over the rules only once before he waves her off and tells her this is the simplest game he's ever heard of. Ten minutes into their first round and Kara has the majority of the cards.

"You're cheating," he grumbles.

"I am not!"

Querl gives her a half hearted glare. "You must be. No one is that fast without super powers."

"You're just upset because that big brain of yours doesn't really matter in Slap Jack."

He chuckles. "Is that so?"

Within another ten minutes, their roles have reversed and Querl holds every card in his hands.

"How did you do that?" She stares in astonishment.

He shrugs. "Pattern recognition. I realized it earlier, but thought you might find it unfair and so I withheld from slapping the jack whenever it came to the top of the pile."

"So you were letting me win?" She frowns.

"Uhm, well," he shifts, feeling sheepish under her scrutiny. "Yes, I was."

Abruptly, Kara stands up and crosses into the living room. Querl watches her, afraid he had upset her. "I-I'm sorry if I cheated. I can try to ignore my intellects and we can play a more fairly."

Kara opens a cabinet and bends over, rummaging through the contents before she stands with a stack of slim boxes. "You have an incredible mind," she sets the brightly colored boxes in front of him. Each is labeled with just enough description for him to deduce what the game could be about. "And now we're going to test your strategic abilities." She sits across from him and pulls a box from the middle of the pile. "Ever heard of Risk?"

Kara was a genius in her own right, a notable whiz-kid on Krypton, and surely would prove to be a decent intellectual opponent for him. He raises a brow at her, a corner of his lips raising into a half cocked smile.

"C'mon Brainiac," Kara teases, handing the box to him. "Let's see what you've got."

***O***O***O***

"I can't do it, Kara," Querl sighs, running a hand over his face.

"Why? What's wrong now?" She looks over at him. He's tucked into the corner of her couch he'd occupied the night before.

"This show is insufferable," he grumbles. How I Met Your Mother was playing the season 5 premier on Kara's television, and though Querl had agreed to take a break from board games and zone out on the couch with her, he had whined the entire way through the last three episodes of season 4.

"No, come on!" Kara begs. "Season five is when Barney and Robin start dating!"

He makes a face at her. "You like them? They're terrible people."

"You said that about Ted and Lily too."

"Ted and Lily are terrible people."

"So you only like Marshal?"

He rolls his eyes. "I tolerate Marshal. He's the only character that seems to have a moral compass."

"Maybe this show is too silly for you," Kara pushes her hair behind her ears. "You're a logical guy; a scientist. Maybe we should have started with The Big Bang Theory."

He narrows his eyes at her. "Winn told me about that show. I don't like the idea of anyone pretending to be scientists."

"Oh my God," Kara giggles. "It's a show, Querl. They're all actors!"

"They could have hired scientists to act as scientists on their show."

"But it's not really about science," Kara defends. "It's about the people and the relationships."

As soon as Querl opens his mouth to argue, there's a knock. They both dart their eyes to the door, Kara furrowing her brow to see through the wood, and Querl standing with his fist clenched, his flight ring starting to glow.

"It's just Alex," Kara announces, casually getting up to greet her sister. "She usually stops by on the weekends."

Querl nods and seats himself back on the couch, returning his focus to the TV. Before turning for the door, Kara takes a minute to smile down at him. He looks like he fits right in, she thinks.

"What?" He looks up at her, and Kara panics that he has telepathic powers he failed to mention.

"Nothing," she spins around and hurries to the door.

"Happy weekend!" Alex is all cheery smiles and hellos as she steps into the loft. "I brought you guys some food." She holds up two plastic bags.

"Is that Chinese take out?" Kara gushes, reaching for the delivery.

"Sure is," Alex waves at Querl. "Hey Brainy. Hungry?"

He offers a little wave in return, but doesn't have a chance to answer before Kara attempts to usher Alex back out in to the hall.

"So?" Her sister prods in a hushed voice. "How's it going?"

"How's what going?" Kara whispers back. "We're just hanging out."

"Pretty long hangout," Alex is positively giddy. "Is he spending the night again?"

Kara shrugs. "If he wants to." Truthfully, she had no idea if Querl did want to stay another night. "I don't mind."

Alex leans against the doorframe. "Yeah, I'm sure you don't. What have you guys been up to?"

"I've been trying to beat him at board games. It's impossible."

"Well, duh." Alex laughs. "Has he kissed you yet?"

"What?!" Kara yelps, and then realizing her volume, quickly glances over her shoulder at Querl, who raises a brow at her. He holds her gaze with a frown on his face, as if he were trying to assess if she needed some sort of help from him. She turns back to Alex, hissing. "No, he hasn't kissed me! Are you kidding? This is literally the first time we've hung out."

"Well, I mean, outside of your subconscious."

Kara frowns at Alex. "That was different."

"Right," Alex nods. "It was 'intimate', right?"

"Oh my God," Kara covers her eyes with her palm. "Did you come here to torture me?"

"I also delivered Chinese food."

"Thanks for that," Kara lowers her hand. "I'm literally out of groceries."

"No problem. Also," she fishes her cellphone out of her back pocket, a series of quick beeps alerting her to a text. "Mon-El asked me to let you know he'd like to speak with you soon."

"What?" Kara narrows her eyes. "What for?"

"Dunno," Alex types out a response to her text and pockets the device. "I didn't ask. It didn't seem urgent. Just talk to him on Monday." She looks over at Querl one last time. "And if he does spend the night again, definitely offer your bed. Your couch is terrible to sleep on."

Kara shuts the door behind her sister as she takes her leave and returns to the D.E.O. She returns to the couch, bags of food in hand. "Alex brought us lunch."

Querl takes the bags from her and sets them on the coffee table while Kara returns to the kitchen to grab plates. "It smells interesting."

"It's literally my favorite food," She's practically buzzing with excitement at the cartons of noodles and dumplings and meats. "Sorry about Alex. She can be super nosy. And apparently she had to deliver a message from Mon-El."

Querl spoons chicken fried rice onto his plate, "What did he want?"

Kara shrugs and uses her chopsticks to dig into a pile of sweet and sour pork. "Just that he wants to talk to me soon." Her nonchalance is feigned. Underneath the surface, she is bubbling with unease. She'd been so careful to limit her interactions with Mon-El and avoided him at every chance she could. His return as a married man had rattled her. And witnessing the way he and Imra interacted was…difficult. Imra was lovely and so excited to work with Kara and the D.E.O., and Mon-El clearly loved her. It had forced Kara to analyze her own relationship with him. The prospect of having a private conversation with him - possibly over the topic of their past together - was not a pleasant thought.

She keeps her mouth shut, not wanting to talk about her ex-boyfriend with her current crush. The silence swirls around them, stealing the previous lighthearted debate over sitcoms and the flirtatious teasing that had started to tickle its way between them. Querl seemed more relaxed as the day went on, smirking at her and muttering little compliments under his breath that made her blush. Despite a few awkward hiccups, the day had been a lot of fun. She didn't want her anxiety over Mon-El to taint that.

The couch shifts a little as Querl adjusts his position, setting his plate on the coffee table and

leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and interlaces his fingers together. He's looking at her with such care and understanding, that fizzy, sparkling something that had laid between them all day starts to grow. "I know what you meant to each other. I can't imagine how difficult seeing him and Imra is for you."

Kara's lips part as she stares at him. His dark eyes are unblinking as he waits, letting her collect her thoughts. She whispers, "It wasn't meant to be."

"Come on, Kara," Querl's voice is gentle. "Mon-El told me what happened."

She breaks eye contact with him, a swell of emotions rising inside of her. Her relationship with Mon-El was a whirlwind and intense and short lived. And yet, for multiple reasons it wasn't meant to be. "The more I think about it…" She bites her bottom lip. "The more I realize how unfairly he treated me." She peeks at Querl; he's quiet, watching her. " I made excuses for him at every turn. But the truth was that he just wasn't the person we know today. He was hedonistic and spoiled and misogynistic. And he always spoke down to me, like I was beneath him. Like, my feelings were inconsequential. And I excused it. I let him treat me like that. I was just so blinded," tears form in her eyes. "So desperate to be loved that I-I," she looks down at the carton of pork sitting on her lap. "You must think I'm such an idiot."

Querl reaches a hand across the space between them, taking one of her hands in his. "Never," he whispers. He squeezes her fingers softly. "You met someone and fell in love, and sometimes that happens even when the pair is ill suited. Statistically, the likelihood of finding a compatible partner is only-" he abruptly stops himself, noticing Kara's hand is trembling.

"The worst part is that," she bites her bottom lip. "I lost so much respect for myself. What does it say about me to date a man like that? Supergirl is this strong figure for so many people - so many women, and yet I let this uncaring jerk walk all over me? And then we he finally started to mature and realize all the work I'd put into our relationship, he had to leave. And now," she takes a deep breath. "Now he's married to this absolutely perfect woman and treats her like a queen and it just reminds me that I never got treated that way."

Querl rubs his thumb over her knuckles. "You deserved better," his voice is so soft and his hand anchors her while he squeezes her fingers gently. "I'm sorry."

She wipes her eyes with her free hand, shaking her head. "Don't be. There's just a lot of history between Mon-El and I. I've worked through it, mostly. But I'm not looking forward to the conversation he wants to have on Monday."

"If you'd rather not go alone, I can come with you."

Kara's heart flutters at his kindness. "Thanks. But I should probably just suck it up and get it over with."

Querl nods. "Hopefully he wants to talk about the Blight or Reign, instead of your relationship. And, when you're done talking with him, you can come find me." He gives her hand another squeeze and nods his head towards their meal. "Now come on. Eat up."

***O***O***O***

Rays of sunlight drench her loft in gold as the evening begins to give way to night. It's Kara's favorite time of day, when everything is calm and saturated in the Golden Hour. She sighs softly, appreciating the simplicity of it all. Querl had offered to clean up their lunch mess, and Kara suggested they watch a movie.

Roman Holiday plays softly on the TV, and rather than sitting on opposite ends of the couch, Kara has seated herself upon the middle cushion, her legs tucked under her body, and Querl takes his corner spot once again. His arm stretches over the back of the couch, his hand just behind Kara's shoulders. A large, faux fur blanket is spread over both of their laps.

The urge to snuggle into his side is overwhelming. He's spread out more than he had been last night, which Kara takes as a sign of his comfort with her. If she were a braver woman, she'd lean into him, maybe let her head rest on his shoulder, or her knees could sit on his hip.

This could be our normal, she thinks. This could be real. The ever present need to tell him how she feels plagues her. How she should just say it, get it out, let him know, before it eats her alive. The relief she felt with him, the utter safety that her feelings are valid to him, her thoughts and opinions valued. She hadn't had that with a man in a long time.

When Kara glances at Querl, she can see the strain in his face, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tries to swallow. "Are you okay?"

Querl clears his throat. "Yes. It's just…they can never be together. She's royalty and he's," his throat bobs again. "He's just some guy. And-and I find that very sad. They obviously care quite a lot about each other."

Kara studies him, something taking hold of her heart and squeezing as realization dawns on her. In that moment, she is his Princess Ann. Precious. Untouchable. The reality of their situation was that Querl was from a different century. Whatever was blooming between them had an upcoming end date. There would be no riding off into the sunset together, or long term commitments, or wedding bells and children. There was no possibility for anything beyond her couch and movie night. "At least they have the memories," she whispers, only able to muster up a smile full of sorrow. "They live the rest of their lives in each other's hearts. They gave each other something beautiful, even if it was only for a short time."

Like now. This day. This loft. And when you broke into my subconscious and helped me escape. Her chest hurts in that aching, choking back a sob kind of way.

He looks down at her, studying the emotion in her eyes. Rao, he's handsome, Kara sinks into the cushions farther, letting her head read against his forearm on the back of the couch. He's quiet, and he looks at her, as if he's afraid she'll slip away and all he'll have left is the memory of her.

Kiss me, her heart screams. This is real.

He swallows, his voice soft and shaky as he speaks. "Kara, I-I need you to know that I-"

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Kara?!" It's Lena, practically shouting on the other side of her front door. "Kara, are you there?"