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Out of all the words Lena Luthor could use to describe herself, maternal wouldn't even make it into the top 100. It’s not like she had the greatest of maternal figures growing up to learn from. There was always the lingering fear that she would end up just like Lillian. So no, having kids currently wasn’t in the cards for Lena. However, recent life events were starting to make her think that she wouldn't be as awful or clueless of a mother as she once thought. Kara knew her thoughts on children, saying that she would be happy either way if they decided to have kids or not. Their romance still too new to seriously consider it more than hypotheticals anyway. The natural progression of friendship to romance only having crossed the line a few months ago, though they both joked that years of their friendship could have easily been considered dating.
Even in the several short months together, it didn’t take long for Lena to ask Kara to move in with her, spending most nights together anyway, it just made sense. Her apartment still looked as sleek and modern as always, but now it was complimented with reminders of Kara everywhere. Fuzzy colorful blankets taking space on her couch and chairs, pictures of the two of them as well as Kara’s art covering her walls, and novelty mugs in their cabinets making her apartment look much more lived-in than years prior. And now that her guest room wasn’t dedicated to Kara for her “friendly” sleepovers, she could use it for actual guests.
So when Alex and Kelly asked if they could watch Esme over the weekend while they went on a romantic getaway, of course they both jumped at the chance. Their spacious guest room transformed to the little girl’s liking in preparation for her stay.
Things were running smoothly after Esme was dropped off, having dinner together and watching one of the many Disney movies Kara had decorated some of her shelves with, claiming streaming “wasn’t as good because it doesn’t have all the special features”. After the girl was tucked in bed and saying good night, Lena was ready to curl up in bed with Kara and a book when a request caught her off guard.
“Aunt Lena, will you tell me a bedtime story?” Esme asked when she was finally snuggled up in bed.
“A bedtime story?” Lena repeated, trying to think of anything she knew that could pass as a little girl’s story. Surely her birth mother had read to her and told her tales before bed, but those memories were distant and painted over instead with ones of Lillian telling her she was too old for fairytales, no matter how old she was. She could try to make up one, but her imagination was nowhere near as wild as Kara’s when she told Esme exaggerated stories with silly voices and sound effects. She did, however, know of something that could get the girl to fall asleep, a subject that for most, would be bored to tears if lectured on.
“How about I tell you about atoms?” Lena said, sitting back down on the edge of the bed and turning to look at Esme, now tucked in and clutching one of her stuffed animals to her chest.
“Adams?” Esme asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
“Atoms,” Lena gently corrected, “they make up everything from the air we breathe to even you and me.” She smiled, poking Esme gently in the belly, making her giggle. After a nod of confirmation from her, Lena began her lecture. The little girl’s wide eyes started to droop more and more by the minute, trying her best to stay awake for the private TedTalk she was given by her godmother. Eventually after about ten minutes, the next time Lena looked over, Esme’s eyes were closed and the girl was snoring quietly. “Good night, sweetie.” She smiled, standing up and giving her a kiss on the forehead before heading to bed herself.
The next night, work called Lena away after dinner, an impromptu investors meeting taking up several hours of her evening, getting closer and closer to Esme’s bedtime. When she got home about an hour after the little girl should have gone to sleep, she wasn’t expecting to hear the voices of her girlfriend and her niece in the guest room. After taking off her coat and shoes, Lena starts to make her way to the open door frame of the guest bedroom, peering in and seeing Esme in bed with Kara sitting at the edge of it.
“Come on, Esme. I’ve told you two stories already, it’s time for bed.” Kara tried to reason with the youngest Danvers-Olsen.
“I want another story! I want…Lena!” Esme half protested, half cheered as she noticed Lena standing in the doorway, watching them. “Aunt Lena, will you tell me about atoms?” She asked, putting on the classic Danvers’ pout that Lena was never able to resist.
“Atoms?” Kara parroted back as Lena started to make her way over to the bed, taking a seat next to her.
“Yes, now hush unless you have something to add to the topic,” Lena smirked, a warmth in her chest from having Esme request her to continue her talk rather than one of Kara’s stories, almost certain that she bored the little girl to sleep last time.
Kara and Esme both listened in rapt attention as Lena went deeper in depth on the makeup of atoms, occasionally getting sidetracked on a different sub-topic. Esme finally starting to doze off somewhere around Lena getting into particle physics.
“She’s never fallen asleep during one of my bedtime stories.” Kara joked after they had turned out the lights and quietly snuck out of the room.
“Precisely the problem, dear.” Lena laughed. “You may be able to fly, but my power is boring our niece to sleep.”
“Don’t say that, she was so excited to learn. You’re so good with her, I’m sure you’re going to turn her into a little scientist just like her Aunt Lena.” Kara said with a grin.
“It has been good practice, you know, for one of our own, one day….maybe?” Lena asked hopefully to Kara’s dopey, surprised face.
“Yeah, definitely maybe.” Kara repeated, already thinking of tiny half Kryptonians with her eyes and Lena’s hair getting the same bedtime science lessons their niece got.