"I got you something," Kara says.
The words drop into the quiet of the room as they snuggle on their couch, watching re-runs of Buffy that Lena, living under Lillian's tyrannical rule, had never seen as a kid.
Kara hadn't known how to address the gift she had been working on for Lena. She had been trying to approach it all evening. When Lena first came home there was a whirlwind of talk about sneaky board members and Lena's heroic acts to prevent them usurping her. Then there had been food, and well… food! Kara couldn't really think about anything else while eating.
Afterwards, Lena had rubbed her neck tiredly and Kara had forgotten about the gift for a while as she dragged her wife to the sofa for a neck rub, some snuggles and mind-numbing TV. With Lena lying boneless across Kara on the sofa she had been too comfy to address the issue, but it was getting late now, and Lena was rubbing small circles into Kara's sides. Lena's head, nuzzled under Kara's chin, had turned and started planting little kisses across her throat.
Kara's breath was beginning to get short, she knew where this was going to end up and Kara knows that if she doesn't address the gift now she will lose her nerve again. They will spend another wonderful night lost in each other before drifting off to sleep and Kara will put off the present again. The gift has been sitting in her closet for a week and it seems a now or never moment.
Lena freezes at Kara's words. Kara wants to kick herself because she had just blurted that out and ruined the moment.
Lena draws back slowly so she is kneeling between Kara's legs which are stretched out on the couch. Her wife's eyes are dark green with lust but her brows are furrowed in confusion. Kara's heart beats a little faster as she realizes she has surprised her wife.
Kara thinks back on their relationship: their years of friendship, the year and a half of dating and almost three months of wedded bliss. Kara is a little embarrassed to realize that beyond copious amounts of food brought at surprise lunches, some Disney DVDs, plushies and her bonding bracelet, Kara hasn't really given her wife gifts before. Kara smothers her chagrin and sets a mental reminder to try and be more romantic, more spontaneous in future.
"You got me something?" Lena repeats, her voice low and husky from their activities. The note of confusion and disbelief is heavy though.
Lena's mind is spinning trying to figure out what Kara could have gotten her. Lena is a Luthor. There is no material item she could not buy or create for herself. Had she missed an anniversary, or forgotten her own birthday again?
No, neither of those.
Lena is entirely lost. The idea, that her beautiful wife would get her something, running into the childhood pitfalls of her own low self-esteem.
Kara smiles reassuringly, and her hand rises subconsciously to cup her wife's face. Kara, well used to how skewed Lena's own sense of self worth is, seems to read Lena's doubts and confusion that anyone would give her a gift. Sometimes, Kara really wants to turn back time and punch Lillian Luthor for her shoddy job at raising Lena, her lack of maternal warmth had irreparably damaged Lena.
"Yes. For you, and well sort of for me too," Kara admits nervously and curses herself as she feels an uncontrollable blush rushing up her face.
Lena's confused, almost lost look morphs into one of coquettish mischievousness.
Seeing Kara's blush settles Lena's nerves as she realizes the type of gift Kara is talking about. Lena is nothing if not confident in her own sexuality, her sexual experience and natural confidence making her more than comfortable in discussing or engaging in intimate activities which Kara's complex Kryptonian socialisation and sexuality make her more hesitant in. Feeling on more solid ground Lena leans forward over Kara, hovering like a great cat over it's prey.
"Prey tell, what sort of gift could make you blush like that Mrs El?" Lena asked huskily, her use of their privately held surname making Kara shiver beneath her.
Kara rose up to steal a kiss, but Lena grabbed her hands and pinned her down while leaning back. Kara whimpered slightly. Lena knows Kara can easily overpower her, but also that she will respect Lena's desire to prevent the kiss. Kara's wish to never scare Lena with her strength or make her feel powerless, chaining her strength better than any kryptonite cuffs could.
Lena cocks an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation. Her curiosity only grows when Kara seems to blush darker than her Supergirl cape and squirms uncomfortably beneath her.
Lena feels her playfulness receding as she sees how nervous her wife is. Lena has done everything she could to make Kara feel comfortable exploring her sexuality with Lena. This renewed nervousness and self-consciousness from her wife, after three months of marriage is concerning. It almost reminds Lena of the first night Kara revealed the alien-ness of her anatomy to Lena.
Lena draws back, pulling Kara up into a reassuring hug. "Hey, beautiful girl. You're safe here. No matter what you want to do, no matter what you want to show me, you know I love you. Always."
Kara lets out a deep sigh and pulls her glasses off, allowing a little of her alter ego's courage to infect her.
"Can I show you?" Kara whispers, glancing at Lena through lowered lashes. The words reminiscent of that first night when they revealed intimate secrets to each other.
Lena grips Kara's hand and smiles reassuringly, "If that is what you want?"
Kara nods and with sudden speed and confidence, as though afraid if she does not act quickly she will lose her never, drags Lena by the hand to their bedroom.
Kara deposits Lena on the edge of their bed and dashes off to their walk-in wardrobe.
Lena sits primly on the edge of the bed, her back straight and trying with all her Luthor control to not play with the edge of her shirt.
The sound of Kara tripping on something and soft Kryptonian cursing drifts out of the wardrobe and causes Lena to smother a giggle.
After a few minutes Kara emerges with a black metallic box about a 12 inches square.
Kara walks with quick nervous steps back to Lena, placing the box on the floor in front of Lena and dropping with boneless grace to sit cross legged on the floor before her.
Kara absently caresses the box's top which seems to have no seams.
Kara darts a look up at Lena and before Lena can ask to open the box Kara begins to ramble.
"I have been visiting the Fortress more since our wedding. It feels more like mine since then, and I was looking through some of my Dad and Uncles notes on Earth when I found the schematics for this."
Here Kara taps the box decisively before sucking in a breath and continuing.
"It seems they had researched earth a bit more than Kal or I knew. I had the Kalex fabricate this for me. I was actually surprised you hadn't made an attempt at one ages ago…although I am glad the schematics were in the database, because if I had to ask Alex to help me build one I think I would have died of embarrassment. Terminal blush may actually be another of my weaknesses."
Kara grimaced in embarrassment at the idea and Lena's curiosity grew. Lena's mind speeds through possibilities and deductions.
The gift then is Kryptonian. What could Kara possibly have wanted that she would be embarrassed to ask Alex for? Lena's lips pursed in thought, yet nothing was coming to mind. When they had become sexually intimate Lena had wasted little time in fabricating a titanium strap on some three weeks later so that she could reciprocate penetrating Kara without fear of having body parts crushed by involuntary super powered muscle spasms. What else could Kara want, since the strap on she had expressed no other desires.
Kara seems to fidget in place under Lena's thoughtful expression. Lena attempts to hide her bewilderment and reassure her wife.
"Kara, you can come to me about anything you want to try. I am yours, we walk in Rao together," Lena tries to reassure as she leans forward and grasps Kara's bonding bracelet on her left arm. Kara reciprocates the gesture, and they sit, hands linked across the mystery box.
Kara searches Lena's eyes for a long moment and a small smile creeps across her face as she shyly blushes in embarrassment at her foolishness. Kara knows she can trust Lena, it seems almost silly to be nervous, but Kryptonian sexuality is so complicated, and sex was such a private and rare occurrence that Kara sometimes struggles to express her feelings.
With a shrug Kara smiles ruefully, "I am actually surprised that you hadn't built one before, or at least attempted to. Maybe you have. I know that you have been letting me take the lead with all of this." Kara waved vaguely at the bedroom to encompass the entirety of the sexual side of their relationship.
Lena agrees that she has been letting Kara set the pace of their relationship, conscious that she never take advantage of Kara's charitable and kind nature. Lena knows Kara would do anything to please her, even if it was something that she didn't want, a circumstance which the selfish man-child Mon-El had taken advantage of. Lena was determined to never allow that to happen, her pleasure was secondary to Kara's: because all Lena wanted to be happy was Kara's happiness.
Lena is admittedly flummoxed. A singularly unique occurrence for the Luthor genius. What could this gift possibly be that Kara thinks Lena would have made one, or at least attempted to make one before?
Lena went to draw her hands back, impatience getting to her. Kara takes this as her signal and she presses her palm to the top of the black box and gripping Lena's hand does the same with hers. The box's lid glows and the outline of their palms suddenly appears etched into the seemingly impenetrable black metal. The box hisses and a seam appears along the bottom edge.
Lena can't hide her surprise. The box was dual palm print locked. What sort of gift would need such security?
Kara smiles and shrugs lightly, seemingly pleased at her wife's surprised awe. "The Kalax figured it should be kept secure. I know that will appeal to your Luthor paranoia."
Kara laughs softly as though the idea was silly, but Lena's stomach tightens, the idea that the gift may need such security making her nervous and her palms sweaty. Kara is so trusting that it is obvious she thinks the idea of securing the gift silly, but that the Kalex thought at least a palm lock is needed is worrying.
Kara lifts off the top of the box in one fluid movement to reveal a dull red globe on a silver clawed base surrounded with kryptonian symbols.
Lena sucks in a breath with a hiss, her mind immediately realizing what the gift is. Bile rises to the back of the Luthor's throat and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
Kara oblivious to Lena's reaction sets the box's top aside and lifts the red sun lamp, her eyes fixed wonderingly on it.
"I want to be able to touch you Lena; without fear. I want you to be able to mark me as I mark you."
Kara looks up at Lena and only then seems to realize that something is wrong. Lena's heart is racing, her snow like skin turned ghostly and her body is leaning away from Kara and the red sun lamp. The fear and revulsion is practically dripping from Lena's body language. Lena's teeth audibly snap together.
Lena's jaw muscles ripple and with robotic motions she leans forward to push the lamp back to the box's base. Kara's confusion steals across her face.
Before Kara can speak Lena lifts the lid of the box and with a resounding 'clunk' she slams it back over the lamp. The seam disappears in the blink of an eye.
"No!" Lena says. Her voce cold and unyielding.
