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by any other name would smell as sweet

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“C’mere,” Kara says, already warm and soft on the bed, wearing Lena’s worn-out MIT sweater and the goofiest socks with little puppies on them. The entire scene beckoning Lena to melt into the mattress with her best friend. 

 

Lena slowly crawls unto...Not-Kara’s-Side-of-the-Bed (she refuses to call it her side…)

 

She lets herself be gathered in Kara’s arms. Her head nuzzling to Kara’s neck, hands gently falling into place on Kara’s chest, her whole body moulded to Kara’s as if an extension of her own. She hears her hum contentedly and Lena closes her eyes for a moment, savoring the intimate peacefulness that she only ever experiences when she lays with Kara. 

 

“So, your sister’s officially an Olsen.”

 

“That she is. And Kelly’s officially a Danvers.”

 

“Hm, yeah. Did you know Nia actually suggested they don’t hyphenate and just go with Dansen instead?”

 

“Really?! I had the same idea! That’d totally be cool. Their kids would have like the coolest thing to brag about, like ‘Hey did you know I have my own surname ‘cos my moms’ thought it cool to just mould their names together.’ Coolest flex, I tell you.”

 

Lena breathes a laugh into Kara’s neck and for a moment she remembers why Kara Danvers is so special. It’s all these little quirks that she does, the silly jokes, the deep dreams, the way she’s bared herself to Lena in a way the others never will be allowed to see. 

 

“Yeah, I bet. I’d kill to earn myself a new surname.”

 

At that, silence befalls them. She feels Kara stiffen beside her and if Lena would look at her right now, she’s sure Kara’s face is going to be wearing that expression she gets when Supergirl gets protective. 

 

Lena fills the quiet before Kara gets the chance to launch into a ‘Lena-we-talked-about-this-’ speech.

 

“If you ever get married would you want them to take your surname?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Because,” Lena starts, voice shaky and shy, “I wouldn’t. Them marrying me would be a miracle in of itself. I couldn’t ask them to take on the burden of my name as well.”

 

Lena doesn’t know why she said what she said. It reminds Lena of one of those Quaker meetings; where everyone sits in silence till someone feels the compelling power of some higher calling to say what’s on their mind. 

 

“If I ever get married. I’d take their surname.”

 

The words were said with such conviction that Lena feels a shock run through her.

 

Lena doesn’t know why she feels the need to hold her breath.

 

“I’d take their surname, because that’s the name of the person I love you know?” Kara’s voice turns soft, like she’s telling Lena the most important secret in the world.  

 

“And if they think, their name’s a burden, then I’d take it. And I’d prove to them that names are just names. They can be made into something good,” she pauses; tongue searching for words.

 

“...and beautiful, if you let it. I’d always introduce myself with their surname, if they let me. And my kids will too. And I’ll tell them to have their kids take on the name as well and those kids’ spouses and their grandkids. Until, it’s not a burden anymore, until the person I married finally sees it for what it is. A force for good, a symbol of our love, a legacy for our children.”

 

Tears stream down Lena’s face and unto Kara’s sweater, she doesn’t even notice that she’s sobbing until she feels Kara’s arms tighten around her and lips press soft kisses to her hair, her temple, her cheek, her jaw.

 

Lena’s grasping for words, so she says, “Children? Plural?”

 

“Yeah, plural.”

 

“That’d be a handful don’t you think?”

 

“Nonsense. They'll have the world’s best parents.”

 

And just like that Lena’s breath is taken away again. 

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” Kara confirms softly and this time Lena does finally look up. She sees Kara’s sincere eyes and she wonders if she’ll ever get tired of getting lost in them. Their matching gaze is charged and Lena thinks, this is finally the moment, the two of them will finally-

 

“Wait- you do know I was talking about you right?”

 

“Like I’d really, really, seriously legally change my name to Luthor, and- Oh shit, Rao! I haven’t even told you I love you and here I am telling you I’d change my name, I basically propo-”

 

And God, only Kara. Only Kara would ruin their moment with that kind of statement. Lena does the most effective way she thinks of shutting Kara up, she closes the last few inches and presses their lips together.

 

“Darling, we’ll hyphenate.”