What's In a Number?
By: shallow_seas_we_sail
Summary:
Based on a gifset over on Tumblr by female heroes
Lena wants to propose to Kara on Christmas, so she gets everything in order: a world-class chocolatier, jeweler, and Brainy to help put together an advent calendar of special, chocolate (and one engagement ring) moments.
or Lena leaves Kara alone for five minutes and she eats all the chocolates and she has to move her plans around to December 1st
Work Text:
Lena had always considered herself excellent at giving gifts. Expensive bottles of wine and cigars to shareholders and all expenses paid vacations for Sam and Ruby. There was a time though in her life where her gifts were transactional; pulling strings at the D.A for James had nearly cost her their relationship. Hell, she had practically given Andrea CatCo after, well. It doesn’t matter much now
But then there was Kara.
And Kara. Wow. She gave and received with such humility and earnest adoration, that naturally, Lena was skeptical about someone being that enthusiastic about roses overflowing in their cramped cubicle. But some years later, after their rift, after Lex and Nyxly, when life was finally quiet and still, Kara had shown her the yellow, white, and red petals delicately pressed in a nondescript book that sat on her bedside table. It left Lena with her heart beating madly against the cage of her ribs when her fingers ghosted over the dried flowers.
“You kept them?” Lena said, a hitch of awe catching in the back of her throat.
Kara chuckled as she reached out and took the book from Lena’s hand, closing it gently, “Of course. You gave them to me. It’s not like I could have kept all of them. You practically turned my office into a botanical garden.”
Lena arched an eyebrow, and pressed Kara with an unconvinced look, “You have a Pulitzer.”
Kara shrugged and glanced down, her finger running along the spine of the book, “So? Honestly, I don’t even know where that thing is. I think it’s in a box in the back of my closet somewhere? Not that it matters. Well... it does matter, but not as this does,” she raises the book in her hand, motioning with it weakly.
“Seems like the Luthors have you in good standing. Roses, Pulitzers. Maybe you’ll write the screenplay and get yourself an Oscar. Heaven knows there is enough salacious material.” The words come out more flippant than Lena expected; carrying more bite than she would ever mean towards Kara, and she inwardly cursed herself.
A sad smile tugged at the corner of Kara’s mouth as she turned and placed the book back on the tables beside her bed. Lena tapped her fingers nervously against her leg when Kara hesitated to turn around.
“I have something better,” Kara said, pressing a hand onto her bed as she knelt and reached underneath. She pulled out a worn shoebox and stood, placing it on top of the bed, “I’ve kept a bunch of stuff from our relationship-..” Kara cleared her throat, “friendship over the years.”
Lena felt the heat as it rose to her neck and settled into her cheeks. She took a step forward, pulled naturally and easily into Kara’s orbit until they stood side by side, shoulders brushing as Kara removed the lid revealing the items.
“I, uh, have this receipt from the first time we went out to eat and we argued about who was going to pay,” Kara said, removing the slim piece of paper and setting it down beside the box.
“Me, naturally.” Lena playfully chided.
“Naturally.” Kara echoed, “I also have that fancy monogrammed handkerchief you gave me after I spent hours crying about that dumpster fire of a relationship with Mon-El.” she said, pushing the fabric aside. Lena watched as Kara rummaged through the box. There were movie tickets, candid photos, a pair of suspiciously expensive-looking chopsticks.
“Oh my god, you stole these?!” Lena exclaimed as she reached for sticks. Kara quickly outmaneuvered her, grabbing them in a blur and pressing them against her chest like something sacred.
“They were amazing chopsticks!” Kara countered and extended her hand, allowing Lena to examine the intricate design, “And I may have stolen them because they had our colors. See?”
Lena narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly as Kara reached out. A blue dragon climbed up along the dark wood of one stick and while a green dragon twisted around the other.
“Plus it was our first time out after the whole..” Kara motioned with her free hand haphazardly and then rubbed the back of her neck, “Supergirl thing and they had the best sushi I have ever had in my entire life and it felt like old times, ya know? Like us again and I wanted to keep some of that, and you can’t have only one chopstick. They come in a pair.”
“Like us.” The words were out of Lena’s mouth before she could stop them and seemed to hit Kara, who flinched as her face broke out into a bright smile.
“A set,” Kara said as she turned and took a short step forward, staying just politely out of Lena’s space, but entering something entirely new. Blue eyes set on emerald before they flickered down to her lips, and Lena felt the breath that hitched in her chest.
“Complete.” The quiet words carried a gentle edge of seriousness, almost hanging on a question as Kara dropped her hands to Lena’s hips and took a step closer. Lena slipped her hand up Kara’s arm and draped it over her shoulder. Her fingers twirled into the fine hairs at the base of her neck as Lena pressed up onto her toes, inching closer towards Kara. She nosed the underside of her jaw and felt Kara’s hands slip around her waist.
“Binary.” Lena breathed and pressed the last syllable against Kara’s lips. The kiss was languid and familiar in the way they moved together. Soft pressure built, soft lips moving against her own until she felt the warmth of Kara’s tongue slide against her own, and Lena could barely hold back the whimper when Kara pulled back and gently dragged her teeth over her bottom lip. Lena exhaled a shaky breath as Kara pressed her forehead to hers and finally, thankfully (mercifully) wiped away the unspoken line in the sand between them that had been there for years.
“Can I take you out to this great sushi place I know?”
---
Lena was thankful that Esme could keep a secret, and did so better than either of her mothers. It had taken months to get all the parts moving; a world-class chocolatier, jeweler, endless ring designs, and Brainy working, reworking, and finalizing the work on what Lena could only describe as a stellar piece of art and technology: a lead-lined advent calendar complete with secure, automated panels that only opened on their designated day. He had even taken the time to etch and color a picturesque winter wonderland, each panel opening the window or door to a shop or cozy home.
Lena steps off the elevator and makes her way past the front desk, Esme a half a step behind her, clutching the calendar in her small hands. Lena smiles at the guard as she passes the front desk and makes her way towards the banquet hall.
“So you’re gonna give it to Aunt Kara tonight?!” the young girl squeals excitedly.
“That’s the hope, darling,” Lena says as presses her hands into the doors, swinging open with a bit more flair than she intends. Banquet workers who have busily been arranging tables, carrying food and drinks trays freeze as she enters. Sam cooly crosses her arms and shoots a pointed glare from over her shoulder towards the offending sound.
“Do you want the staff dropping fifty bottles of Dom Pérignon?” Sam states flatly before turning her attention back to the gawking staff and clapping her hands together, “Keep moving. Forty-five minutes!”
It is the first annual Luthor Foundation gala and while in the past an event of this magnitude would cause anxiety to swell up in her chest, Lena feels remarkably calm. Perhaps because Sam had offered to take over the planning and set up given her plans for Kara tonight.
But that deep inherent stillness, Lena knows, comes from things finally, finally being right.
No Lex is looming nefariously in the shadows, waiting just in the periphery to turn the sun red or come crashing through a skylight in a green and black Mark 7 knock-off. No, it is just Kara and their life together and her friends, and the little girl tugging at her pant leg. Lena blinks and shakes her head, pulling herself out of her thoughts.
“Hm?” Lena hums, glancing down, “She’s gonna love it.” Esme smiles up at her, showing her the gold and diamond ring pinched between her fingers.
“While I appreciate that,” Lena says, pointing at the ring in her goddaughter's hand, “ that needs to go back. What did we say about phasing?”
Esme forces a pout, “But grandpa J’onn is here and I wanted to see it!”
Lena kneels beside the young girl, running her hand over her back, “I know, but Kara mustn’t see it before Christmas.”
“Well, it’s super pretty, like if you were a ring,” Esme says, tucking the ring back in its place, a quick flash of red highlighting her features as she does so.
Lena juts out her bottom lip in a loving pout as warmth begins to prick at her eyes. She leans in and presses a kiss to her goddaughter's temple, “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” she clasps her hands over her chest as she stands, “How about you go find grandpa J’onn and tell him to sneak this up to my office before Kara gets here, okay?”
“Okay!” Esme chirps as she skips away towards her grandfather, but stops abruptly and looks over her shoulder back towards Lena, “It’s not as sweet as what Aunt Kara is gonna say.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
Esme smiles brightly, “Yes.”
---
‘Here’
Lena tabs her phone nervously against the palm of her hand as she turns on her heels. She had asked Kara to meet her in her office at 8:30 and that was five minutes ago, and Lena has spent those last five minutes pacing the hall in front of her office working up the nerve to walk in and give Kara her gift.
‘It’s just a silly gift.’ Lena types out in a text and sends it as she turns on her heels again, making her way down the hall.
Her phone vibrates in her hand and Lena glances down.
‘I love silly. Now get your silly butt in here. You’re going to wear the red off the bottom of your heels.”
Lena steadies herself and with an affirming nod and swallows down her anxiety, turning and striding confidently towards her office door. She turns the knob and pushes open the door.
“Hey, you.” Kara greets, pushing up from the chair behind Lena’s desk and rounding the corner, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, sorry, I just-..” Lena says as Kara gives her a quick kiss, one Lena can taste is brushed with a hint of world-renowned German chocolate.
“What were you eating?” Lena asks, eyeing Kara suspiciously before shifting to the side to look around her girlfriend towards her desk.
Kara’s eyes dart around the room, confused, “The chocolates you left on your desk?” She says matter of factly, jutting a thumb over her shoulder as Lena sidesteps her, “It’s a lot better than those chalky mints Jess had on her desk.”
“ Oh my god .” Lena exhales under her breath when she sees the bent back panels of the advent calendar.
“How many did you eat?” she asks painfully, turning slowly back towards Kara and squeezing her eyes shut.
“There’s only one left. Did you want some? I’m sorry, they were like little windows to chocolate heaven and I couldn’t stop.”
Lena steeples her index fingers against her pursed lips and opens her eyes, “This was supposed to be a Christmas gift.” She punctuates slowly.
Kara forces a smile that is all regret and teeth, “I’m sorry?”
Lena exhales slowly and turns back towards her desk. She swipes her thumb across the screen of her phone and opens her contacts. She taps on Brainy’s name and presses her phone to her ear.
“Hey. Can you unlock box 24?” ..... ”Yes, it happened.” ..... “I know, but it was five minutes! ”..... “Okay, you were right!”
There is a click and the last panel on the calendar opens. Lena lets go of a grateful sigh, “Thank you.” she breathes, and ends the call.
“What did you notice about the chocolates, dear?” Lena asks as she plucks the ring from its compartment and closes her hand around it. She turns back towards and leans cooly against her desk, crossing her arms. She tries her best not to smile at the confused look plastered across her girlfriend's face.
“Uh. Different colored flowers and chopsticks were holding these cute little dragons. Some looked like dumplings, I think? And the House of El crest an-... oh. ”
“ Oh. ” Lena echoes
“There is a reason why it was lead-lined.”
Lena hums agreeably, and whatever anxiety she had before has been replaced with a staticky, all-encompassing warmth that comes with love. Kara takes a few steps until she is standing in front of Lena, who offers out her closed hand. Kara tenderly wraps her fingers around her wrist as Lena opens her hand revealing the ring there.
“What do you suggest I do with this?” Lena asks, pinching the ring between the fingers of her other hand and taking Kara’s hand in her own as kneels to one knee.
Kara’s mouth falls open, her eyes growing wide as Lena looks up to her, tilting her head with an unspoken question.
“I wanted to ask you on Christmas, but I suppose December 1st works just as well. So,” Lena says, pulling in a deep breath, “Kara, will you marry-..”
“Yes!” Kara answers quickly and she bends over, cupping Lena’s face in her hands and pressing a smiling kiss to her lips.
“Yes.” she says again, peppering Lena’s face with a kiss after kiss, “Yes. Yes! Yes!.”
Kara offers Lena’s her hand, and she slips the finger on her finger as she stands. She steps closer, wrapping her arms tightly around Lena’s waist, and pulling her close. They sway in their embrace, and Lena tucks her head beneath Kara’s chin, pressing the side of her head to her chest. She can hear the thunderous drum line of Kara’s heart and feels lips press a kiss against the crown of her head.
Lena pulls back minutely, catching Kara’s gaze with her own and leaning into a tender kiss.
“Say it one more time,” she mumbles against Kara’s mouth and feels her smile grow.
“Yes.” Kara whispers, quiet and absolute.
The sweetest sound.
A/N
NOT MY STORY!!!!!!!
I found it on AO3.
ANYWAY, this is my first chapter. I will be posting when I'm in my SuperCorp feels (which is always) so yeah
