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English
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Published:
2024-06-18
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2025-03-23
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2/2
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Easier Than My Heart Had Hoped

Summary:

Lena knows in general terms what a bracelet means. She doesn't expect exactly what Kara starts calling her, though.

Notes:

Hey everyone I made a soft and fluffy bracelet fic to make up for my prior filth

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It’s not the first time they’ve woken up in bed together. Not by a long shot. It’s not the first time Lena clings or the first time Kara stays in bed until she has to use superspeed to get ready for work on time. (Fortunately, this morning is a Saturday.) It’s not the first time for anything, really.

At least not until they’re sitting at the table, talking about not much. Because then Lena starts getting nervous, and she hasn’t been nervous around Kara for a year. Kara notices, of course, because Kara notices those kinds of things. Hey, are you alright?

I—! Um. Lena takes a breath. I made you something. You don’t have to take it, if you don’t want it, but. She reaches into her purse, hung on her chair (Lena’s chair, which guests seem to know not to sit in even when Lena is absent), and pulls out—

A bracelet. A beautiful three-colored bracelet, of little interlocking plates; green (Lena’s-eyes green, Luthor green), blue (clear-sky blue, Kara’s-eyes blue), and red (Rao red, El-crest red). Lena blushes and holds it out, looking away.

Lena, Kara breathes reverently. You— You made this?

Lena nods jerkily.

I… I never thought… Lena, do you know what this means, in my culture? She’s soft, gentle, like she’s trying not to spook her.

Lena nods again. Her blush grows.

Tell me what this means, Lena, I need to hear you say it.

It symbolizes… a relationship. Being… she almost whispers the last word, like it scares her, together.

Kara leans forward and plants a gentle kiss on Lena’s fingertips. I never knew you felt this way about me, Lena.

I filled your office with flowers.

I— Okay, in hindsight. But— I grew up on Krypton, you know? I’m always struggling to know what people want me to take away from things. I think I was too scared to think you meant that.

She takes the bracelet, gently, gently. Holds it reverently.

She reaches out and tilts Lena’s face back to her. Holds up the bracelet, a silent question, are you sure?

Lena nods.

Kara puts on the bracelet, carefully, like a holy act. Probably it is.

A breath whooshes out of Lena’s lungs. A far-too-easy I love you sneaks out with it.

Kara smiles. I love you too. She leans in and murmurs something in Kryptonian. Then she kisses her.

Lena almost falls over, melting on Kara’s face. She makes a pathetic little whimpering noise.

Kara breaks the kiss and leans forward awkwardly across the table to embrace Lena, whispering to her reassuringly. Oh, Lena, khuhtiv :zhao. Lena-te. Zr— Zrhemin-te. This last word was said almost wondrously.

Lena curls around Kara as best she can.

Sunday finds Lena in her office trying to wrangle a patent issue before it blows up into a lawsuit.

It’s one-thirty (thirteen-thirty, says the part of Lena’s brain that does time math) when Lena gets off the phone with Legal for the third time and, almost instantly, Kara alights on her balcony in full Supergirl regalia.

Lena turns to face her and smiles. Supergirl, to what do I owe the pleasure?

Kara deactivates her suit and grins. What, can’t a superpowered alien bring lunch to her wife?

A pang so intense it almost burns shoots through her heart and she can’t breathe. Kara looks up from putting down takeout containers (that Lena didn’t notice her carrying before?). I mean, um, we can just say girlfriend, tha—

No! Lena blinks at herself. I mean. It’s fine, Kara. I. I like… She can feel her face heating up and looks down at Kara’s feet while she takes a moment to get her thoughts in order. I like the idea of being your wife, she says quietly. Of you being my wife. I like it a lot.

Kara beams.

Was… that how it worked on Krypton? Just, right to…

Well, marriages were all arranged, so, pretty much. There was no courtship, or really any romance at all. I like that simplicity better than Earth’s whole mess of feelings and rituals and… But I like the feelings? I— I love love, you know? Softly, I love loving you, Lena.

Lena finds herself tearing up, and stands to go hug Kara. I love loving you too. Kara’s amazed laugh draws a smile. She meets her— her wife’s eyes. I can hardly believe that… us can be so easy. So simple.

We’ve spent so long being so hard and complex, haven’t we?

Yeah.

:zhaores w zrhemin-te, Kara says, and kisses her gently.

Me too, Lena whispers.

Notes:

So this accidentally ended up being my first foray into actually using Doyle Kryptonian (or rather, Kryptonese, since it’s Romanized) more or less properly. I had to take some liberties and I’m pretty sure I got things flat-out wrong but it’s better than my previous efforts.

Pro tip: The oft-seen (in Supergirl fic) khap zhao rrip is a rather faulty translation. The words are in the wrong order, the verb is in the potential (able to love), the particles are missing, :zhao is missing a character (that : is part of the first letter, though I can’t hope to explain how it affects pronunciation), and the subject should probably be omitted. It does earn some points because both pronouns are gendered, making the sentence more intimate, and while :zhao isn’t even a verb, well, as far as I can tell the only love-related verb currently in the Doyle dictionary means have sex with so we have to make do.

That’s the biggest liberty I took; I hamfistedly modified :zhao into a less crass verb as best I could. That is, by sticking an R on the end, instead of an L. My apologies to Darren Doyle.

Here is all the Kryptonian broken down, plus one reasonable translation each:

khuhtiv :zhao
  • khuhtiv – my
  • :zhao – love/lust (noun)
:zhao is the abstract concept or experience of romantic love or sexual desire, not a specific beloved person, but the dictionary only has so many words in it.
my beloved
Lena-te
  • Lena (name)
  • -te – my [family member]
my Lena
Zrhemin-te
  • Zrhemin – spouse (feminine noun)
  • -te – my [family member]
my wife
:zhaores w zrhemin-te.
  • :zhaor – be in love with, lust for (verb)
  • -es – present progressive
  • w – (object follows)
  • zrhemin – spouse (feminine noun)
  • -te – my [family member]
The subject is implied to be the speaker by default.
I love my wife.

It’s a whole proper conlang. It’s complicated.

Chapter 2: Bonus

Notes:

Here you are, commenter DutchGirlCollege. I got back into Supergirl once again recently, so you got lucky. I might have an Alex-focused Danvers Sisters fic out at some point soon but don't count on it.

Chapter Text

Lena is more relaxed than she has been since before Lex turned the sun red. She’s in bed with Kara in what has with startling speed become their apartment. Nothing is on fire, at L-Corp, in National City, or at a world scale. It’s been a slow week for the team and even for CatCo (the amount of fluff was considerably higher than normal).

Good morning, Kara says, beaming at her.

It is. Lena takes a breath. .:zhaores w zrehemin-te

Kara’s face somehow finds a way to light up more. She says something in Kryptonian too fast and excited for Lena to parse.

I— Sorry, I can only follow you so fast, Lena replies.

Kara dims a bit. That’s okay, you just need practice. She kisses her. I love you too.

A few moments pass.

So, Lena begins, I was wondering… Should we, uh… let the State of California know about us? I mean, I don’t care about paperwork but I don’t want you to have to prove a common-law partnership if I end up in the hospital or—

Lena, you’re rambling like you’re me. Um, do we need a justice of the peace or something?

No, actually, we can have one of our friends do it. And we need one other witness, and there has to be some kind of ceremony, but that’s all the requirements. It’ll take a little while to get everything ready.

Kara nods. Well, good, because I haven’t finished your bracelet yet.

Oh, right. That can be the ceremony, then.

And then I’ll be your zrehemin and no one can argue.

Is there an argument now?

Kara does a sigh-groan thing. On Krypton both bracelets would always be exchanged at the same time and it would all have been planned for years in advance. Technically I think you’re married to me but I’m not married to you until I give you yours.

Lena’s eyes narrow. Well. That won’t do at all.

Before the games begin, Kara and I have an announcement, Lena says, slapping some papers on the table.

On the top is a piece of cardstock bearing Kryptonian writing. Alex picks it up and scans it, her eyes widening rapidly. Below is another document in English, which Nia examines similarly.

Kelly owes me $50, Alex says. You’re for real, right?

I’m a Luthor.

What does it say? asks Kelly, looking between Alex and Nia.

With gladness we invite all you in attendance here to attend the joining of Kara Zor-El and Lena Luthor in seven days’ time, Alex translates. And not in Kara’s handwriting—

I learned to read and write years ago, Lena dismisses.

And this, adds Nia, waving the second sheet, is a marriage license. Apparently Kara Zor-El Danvers and Lena Kieran Luthor are set to become Kara Zor-El Luthor and Lena Kieran El Luthor. Since when‽

.:zhaores w Kara Zor-El, Lena says, blushing intensely.

Kara raises her wrist to show the bracelet. Proof.

The bracelet Kara made Lena is beautiful, perhaps the second-most beautiful thing Lena has ever seen after Kara herself. Lena is grinning in a most un-Luthor-like fashion and doesn’t care in the slightest.

Kara speaks a ceremonial phrase once in Kryptonian, then repeats it in English: With this bracelet, I offer to become for all time your wife and yours alone.

Lena bows, accepting the bracelet, then takes a deep breath. She gives her answering formula, then translates for the audience: As your wife for all time by the bracelet I have given you, I accept yours, and take you to be mine.

Lena very gently slips on the bracelet.

J’onn nods gravely. I hereby pronounce you to be lawfully wed. You may kiss to seal your bonding.

Kara steps forward, takes Lena by the back of her head, and pulls her into a soft kiss.

Lena lays by her wife, indisputably and irrevocably by Kryptonian tradition, and tries not to think clichés like I’m the happiest woman in the world, without much success.

Good morning, Mrs. Luthor, Kara says.

Lena grins. And to you, Mrs. Luthor.

A little shiver goes through Kara. Gosh, if I’d known when I first met you.

I’m sorry, should I not—

Don’t you dare stop calling me that. I took your name for a reason. I’m proud to wear the name of the woman I love. We are going to make this name ours, and we are going to do incredible things together, and the history books will remember Luthor as the name of two great women.

Lena’s tears have become more common of late, but she imagines even at her coldest that would have made her cry.

But, Kara adds, you will have to teach me to scheme, so I can live up to it properly.

Lena laughs. Anything for my wife.