or the one where everyone is catching the feels
Kara Danvers looked like a kid in a candy store and it made Lena's heart warm. Of course, in this instance, the candy was sharp weapons and the kid was a tall blonde gladiator, with a jawline that could slice avocados and muscles like some kind of bronzed sculpture. The younger woman seemed so pleased by this simple gesture Lena did not know whether to laugh or to cry. She decided she would find something special for Kara, one day, for only Kara to have.
Kara mentioned the night before that she did not have any right to personal possessions, and it made Lena sick.
"I want you to know, whichever you choose, it will be yours to keep. It will be yours for as long as you are here with me and it will be yours to take with you when you go as well." Lena promised, placing a hand on Kara's shoulder.
"You can not promise me something like that, my lady." Kara disbelievingly.
"I can and I have, Kara." Lena said, gently guiding Kara to turn and look at her. "It is like I said before. Things with me; being here will be different and after five years I will see to it that my brother releases you... unless you want to stay here, in that case, I will pay you a wage like any other freedman."
Kara continued to stare in shock, unsure of what to say.
"That one." she finally choked out hoarsely.
"What?" asked Lena who had gotten distracted and stopped following along.
"This gladius is the most similar to the one I am used to using." Kara lifted the blade easily from its place on the rack and balanced the weapon along the flat of her hand.
"You want to go out into the yard and give it a test run?" Lena offered, retrieving the set of knives, the dagger, and a care and keeping of kit Kara had also gathered. She nodded enthusiastically and half-skipped out of the door, her weapon in hand. Lena just shook her head, not knowing what to think.
She opened the gate for her guard and took a seat on an empty bench to observe. Maggie had done well with Kara's day-to-day clothing options. The white linen shirt hugged her shoulders perfectly and the breeches left enough room for movement while still accenting her toned muscles.
It quickly became evident Kara knew what she was doing, though she had never been taught. She went through varying patterns with the gladius, slowly at first, as though she were getting used to the way it felt in her hand. Once she sped up, Lena could hear the sound of the short sword tearing through the air. Just like when she had had an actual opponent, Kara looked as though she were dancing. Lena though the movements nearly more beautiful than the many dances she had seen. She had never watched anyone perform in that way.
"It is magnificent, is it not? Next to no formal training, and have only seen two or three of the forms we teach our own men, but I swear she could bring down any one of our best men if given the opportunity." a voice startled Lena, who had been completely transfixed.
"Uncle J'onn?! You were not supposed to come home for another fortnight! What are you doing here?!" Lena asked, turning and jumping to hug him with a squeal, startling Kara into halting mid-swing.
"Early this morning. News of your 'gift' traveled even to me in the east. I was suspicious so I ran home to see if it was true for myself." J'onn chuckled as Lena squeezed him about the ribcage. "I know you must hate it, or at least hate all it stands for. It could have been worse, though. You could be the black bastard younger son as opposed to the overlooked but protected Crown sister."
Kara stood just behind Lena apprehensively. She did not know or even recognize the man Lena seemed so friendly with. He appeared trustworthy enough, but Kara knew better than to trust appearances. Lena turned to Kara suddenly and gestured for her to join them.
"J'onn this is Kara Danvers, my new bodyguard slash companion. Kara, this is my uncle, the lord J'onn Jones." Lena introduced them politely.
"It is good to meet you, Kara. I have seen you fight more than once. You are quite the rare talent." J'onn bent at the waist and kissed the back of her hand. Kara blushed scarlet and her eyes widened in shock.
"Thank you, sir. You are something of a legend to us, yourself." Kara said with an earnest smile at the compliment.
"Neither of you are at all impressed by me?!" Lena asked.
"Only always, my dear." J'onn said with a smile pulling her in against his chest and kissing the top of the princess's head. "You are the sweetest and strongest young lady I never thought I would have the privilege of helping to raise."
"He is quite the charmer, my uncle." Lena directed to Kara with a half-smile.
"I can tell," Kara chuckled. "and I am beginning to think charm may run in the family." she added with a shrug.
J'onn laughed long and hard at that. His eyes crinkled up at the edges and his teeth shown white against his dark skin in the scalding sunlight.
"I like her, my little lady. She is a good one." he nodded approvingly at Kara and laughed some more.
"I think she might be." Lena replied, turning to Kara, "How do you like the sword? Does it feel good, is it balanced, fits in your hand correctly?"
"All of the above. I love it, my lady, thank you." Kara answered with a smile that put the sun to shame in its wake. Lena decided then and there she would do almost anything to see her smile like that again.
Lena really could not tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing yet. She only knew the feeling rising in her chest was building steadily.