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Kara woke up in pain. Her eyes felt heavier than usual, she was afflicted by a severe migraine and every single muscle of her body looked like it had been trampled on a hundred times and reorganized after that.
It wasn’t something she was used to… Above all things, she’s the woman of steel, stronger and more powerful than hundreds of locomotives, whatever the pain she was able to recover in just one night or less.
But not even this can make her give up and let common sense prevail.
All it took was her ears catching a distant and desperate scream, so she decided that this is a job for Supergirl.
Kara needed more effort than usual to leave her warm bed in these conditions, when her feet touched the ground she felt chills down her spine and sighed in pain.
Taking a better look at her body, she was dressed with cotton shorts and a t-shirt that was too baggy to belong to her, but Kara doesn`t remember wearing that or even about when she lay down to sleep. Everything about last night was blank in her mind.
“HELP!” Distant voices yelled at the same time.
Kara shook her head, banishing those doubts to try and focus on the present moment. After that, she went to the wardrobe, pulled out a hanger, and with just one twist, she swapped her pajamas for her Supergirl uniform.
But when she tried to fly out the bedroom window, a weakness overcame her body, and she fell before she could get out.
She closed her eyes, expecting the pain that would follow the fall, but neither came.
— Nice try… — The sarcastic tone came from a husky voice she knew very well.
That gave her the confidence to open her eyes again and see herself floating on the floor, her fall stopped by an invisible force field.
— Brainy, my love, I… — She tried to explain, embarrassed.
— Was I going to run away from our house without telling anyone and venture out to save someone from a disaster after spending two nights unconscious after a fight against Mordru? I know.
Her face turned completely red. This wasn't the first time she'd done this, but it was the first time she'd been caught in the act.
— Querl… You know crime never rests and I…
— And you’re going to stay home because the Legion just gave you a week off. — Querl interrupted, picking her up.
A puff of air escaped Kara’s nose. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to spend a week with her boyfriend, it’s just that… When you’re Kryptonian, you get used to hearing everything around you. Every corner of 31st-century Earth was under her surveillance. It’s devastating for her to be stuck here for a week when there’s someone out there she could save.
— But Querl… There are so many people in danger out there. I can’t just sit and relax. — Kara lamented.
— You know you can’t carry this burden alone for long, right? — He asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. — Kara, you’ve been pushing yourself beyond your limits, even when you come back from a mission you never switch off.
— I… I want to try that, really. But every time I close my eyes, all I hear is someone’s screams, someone desperate, scared, and begging to be saved. I don’t know if I can relax knowing that.— Kara turned her gaze to him, her eyes tearing up, carrying all the pain that situation was causing her.
— So think about this…— One of his hands went to her eyes, wiping them away. — While you’re here, taking care of yourself and recovering from that fight, the Legion is out there, helping those helpless people. You can focus more on yourself this week, let your senses be in the here and now, when you recover you’ll be back on a mission helping those in need. What do you say?
Trembling under Querl's grip, Kara rested her head on his chest and focused all her hearing on his heartbeat. It was a soft, warm rhythm, perhaps her favorite melody in the entire galaxy.
— I can try…
A wide smile spread across Brainy's face; this was the first time he had managed to win that battle. His girlfriend was so stubborn; it was almost never any use saying anything, she always ran towards danger.
But this time it was different. He saw it in the gleam of those blue eyes... She was softening and allowing herself to be cared for as much as she cared for those who couldn't fight for themselves.
— Where are you taking me? — Kara murmured softly.
— You need a bath and more comfortable clothes. Vacation, remember?
A soft laugh escaped Kara's lips; she loved when he spoke like that... Firm, but gentle, concerned and ready to do anything for her.
She felt his footsteps cease, and with utmost care, he released her body, leaving her standing on the bathroom floor.
— Can you raise your arms?
— You know I can do that myself, right? — She asked, pretending to be irritated.
— I never doubted that… — He replied, looking deep into her eyes.
Kara chuckled at her boyfriend's serious reaction and then did as he asked.
She felt each piece of clothing slide off her body, the cold night wind touching her bare skin, raising every hair on her body.
— Will you join me?
Without giving her time to answer, Kara unzipped Querl's purple jumpsuit and watched it fall to the floor.
— I think someone already decided for me.
Inside the bathtub, her skin was embraced by the warm water as he massaged every aching corner of her body.
In his soft hands, Kara allowed herself to completely relax, to separate herself from the pains of the outside world and focus only on the comfort of her home.
It was with the peaceful sound of his heartbeat that she slept in that bathtub until the end of the bath, and only with the rocking in his arms, already dry and being carried back to bed, did she regain consciousness.
He gently placed her on the mattress, lay down beside her, covered them both with the sheet, and hugged her from behind.
— Brainy… — She called, her voice hoarse with sleep.
His arms around her waist tightened, and his lips were close to her ear.
— Yes? — Querl whispered.
— Good night.