• January 05, 2018 •

It was chilly outside so Zach somewhat regretted dropping his stuff off at home and then walking to the cafe. He was certain his face had turned red from the freezing wind hitting his cheeks but in a sense, it felt good to be able to walk on his own and he reminded himself that once again.

It didn't take long for him to reach the cafe and he pushed open the door, the warm air from the centrally heated space engulfing him as he stepped in. It took some time for his freezing skin to turn back to the normal shade and in the meanwhile, he looked around for Kara.

True enough she waved over to him from a corner table and he saw that she had company. It didn't take him long to recognize their family friend Mike Mathews, or rather Mon-El of Daxam, but the woman sitting beside him was unfamiliar.

Remembering that Kara had mentioned a double date, he relaxed, associating the other woman to be Mon's girlfriend.

He might never have expressed it before but after he found out that Mon was also interested in Kara, he had been somewhat insecure. And especially after that explosion which left him in a wheelchair for so long.

He wasn't angry that Mon's parents had been the cause of that explosion that had taken so much away from him but deep down there was a nagging feeling that Kara might not want to stay around for him anymore.

He knew it was stupid and he shouldn't have thought like that and he had realized it when Kara confessed for the first time that she loved him back in the ICU.

"Hey, are you not going to come over?" Kara's cheerful voice shook him out of his thoughts and he snapped back to reality, a smile tugging up on his face.

Despite all his fears and speculations, Kara was with him. She had chosen him because she loved him and that was all that mattered.

He buried all those thoughts away and approached the table they were sitting on. Mon felt the same awkwardness strike him back when he had first met Zach, though right then the reason for it was entirely different.

Back then he had felt awkward because he had viewed Zach as a rival for Kara's affection. But at the moment, he was awkward because he felt guilty.

Even after so many years (for him, though it had just been just seven months for Kara and Zach), he could still not get over the fact that he was indirectly responsible for the explosion at the MTC.

And that explosion had cost Zach a lot, taking his most treasured dream and ambitions away from him.

Just like earlier, Zach was the one to hold his hand out with a smile, "nice to see you again, Mike."

Mon shook the offered hand, trying to manage a smile as well, "you can call me Mon. I know Kara told you already."

Imra was curiously observing the red-faced but handsome boy that had shown up. A smile spread on her face to see him address her husband as Mike, reminding her of the time she had first interacted with Mon and he had told her he was Mike Mathews from Greece.

"And this is Imra, Mon's wife," Kara gave the introductions, "and Imra, this is Zach, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you too," he smiled politely and she returned the gesture.

"Likewise."

Zach took the seat beside Kara and caught her looking at him with a playful spark in her eyes. It confused him at first, "what? Is there something on my face?"

She shook her head, controlling the urge to laugh, "no, it's just that you've gotten all red again. Did you walk here?"

"Yeah."

"Last time you caught a cold by staying out for so long."

He smiled as well, "that was because Ava kept me freezing out in the cold."

"Speak of the devil and here she is," the four of them were surprised to hear another rather familiar voice and true enough, Ava and Connor had joined them as well.

"Mike, it's been so long! How are you?" Ava had quickly given Mon a hug as she had been on quite friendly terms with him earlier.

Mon hugged back, a smile taking over his face, "what a surprise, Ava. I'm good, how about you?"

"Connor told me you guys are visiting," her eyes locked on Imra, "and hi, I intend to hear all praises of you from this dude here. Too bad he didn't get the chance to mention you earlier."

Imra smiled, shaking the offered hand and introduced herself, "Imra Ardeen."

"Aviana Lawson. Also, Connor's worst nightmare that he would never dare to wake up from," she remarked playfully, then noticed there weren't any seats for them. "Aw, we're crashing the double date here, are we?"

"You can join," Kara offered, "no harm in making the double date to a triple."

Connor had pulled up two more chairs as well, "that's the spirit."

The evening passed in lively chatter and fun for all of them. It had gotten dark when they all decided to leave. Mon still had a lot of places to show Imra around in the city so they took their leave first.

Imra seemed to be enjoying a lot in experiencing the world that was so different from the one she knew. It seemed as if she preferred the current times when technology hadn't gotten so advanced.

"You know, I can totally see why Kara chose Zach," she remarked lightly as they were walking to the place which Mon had referred to as the Alien's Bar.

"Oh yeah, and why is that?"

"He's adorable," she laughed, noticing him look away.

"And also because she met him first. They were already dating by the time I met her," he had told Imra almost everything about his past with the YJ so even though it would be awkward for him to discuss it with anyone else, he didn't feel so right then.

"So what you mean to say is that if you met her first, you would have stood a chance?" She teased him, amused to see his eyes flicker slightly.

"No. And seriously, if I had even the slightest idea that we would be crashing back in this time, I would never have told you anything about Kara."

She laced her arm through his, "why? I am so inspired by her. If you hadn't told me about Kara, you would not have been a part of the Legion."

"Ah well..." He thought for a while then spoke up, "but you know I am glad Kara chose Zach."

"Really? Why?"

"Because if she chose me then it would have been worse. I would have had to leave either way and then both of us could not have gotten our closure," he elaborated, stopping in front of her as he looked down in her soft hazel eyes, admiring the way she always listened to him and supported him. 

Any other woman would get jealous or insecure at the prospect of discussing someone to whom their partner had been attracted, but that wasn't the case with Imra. She was happy that he trusted her enough to share everything with her and had never kept her in the dark regarding himself.

"And then when I would have met you, I might not have been able to move on from her and accept you in my life," his hands gently cupped her face, "I would not have had all the memories you and I have made in these seven years. True, these years have not been easy for both of us due to the Legion and our duties but every second with you is what I would never want to lose."

She loved it when he genuinely expressed how he felt towards her. She wanted to say something but found herself out of words though a loving smile played upon her lips.

"I don't know much about love, Imra, but I do know that you're my person. And I am really glad that I found you."

"Well, that was very touching and all but I've heard of one saying that people never forget their first love," she remarked playfully, curious to see his reaction. Playful teasing was what both of them were quite accustomed to with each other. 

But he laughed at the prospect, "really? I don't remember and it wasn't Kara."

"See, you remember that much. Who's to know if you're just not telling me?"

"Why? Have I ever hidden anything from you before?"

"Nope," she replied, flinging her arms around his neck as she leaned in. It seemed as if she was about to kiss him so his smile widened. But just as their lips were centimeters apart, a teasing spark glimmered in her hazel eyes as she spoke, "it was that girl from Maaldoria, wasn't it?"

"Imra!"

She laughed and connected their lips together. They had been through a lot in the seven years back in the 31st Century but he was right, she wouldn't want to lose even a second that she had spent with him. No matter if the times were good or bad, no matter if it was the 31st or the 21st Century.

He was her person too and she loved him deeply. And that was all the closure they needed from both their tumultuous pasts. The present when they were with each other was what mattered most.

***