WHO: @thdvlwrsprd & @memoriesofkrypton
WHERE: Rooftop, Penthouse
WHEN: April 12th, 2021
WHAT: Three Year Anniversary
The bottom of the thin silver band was nestled into its navy blue velvet cushion. Tiny diamonds circled the highly durable tourmaline center stone in a haphazard and seemingly random pattern in a similar way that the stars danced around the moon in the night sky. The band was also littered with tiny tourmaline and clear gems; the stones were burnished into the band, to limit bumping or breakage.
While the ring was undoubtedly beautiful to look at, it didn’t necessarily look as if it costed an arm and a leg to get. Anton had money — of course he did.
Money was never the question nor would it ever be, but the price tag was more for its rarity and strength than anything. The detailing of the gemstone sounded ideal, especially for Kara and the chaos that seemed to follow someone of her magnitude. The last thing he wanted was for her to blast her hand through a wall and for the ring to disintegrate under the pressure, so as strong as the gem was already, Anton needed just a little bit more insurance. A few incantations and a hand wave or two should do it.
Polished and glistening to perfection, the ring lay dormant in its bed, the entirety of the box hidden away in the inner left pocket of Anton’s jacket. He could feel its weight there constantly as he moved to and fro between the rest of the penthouse and rooftop, as he set up the quiet, candlelit dinner. He’d thought against it, at first — romance was never his forte, though he had a knack — but after the last few months, something simple, intimate, and over-all peaceful sounded overdue.
His piano sat, uncovered, to one side. A small round table and two chairs were settled more in the center, off of the winding staircase. A glistening, clear vase was settled in the middle of the table and housed a single, red rose. Its petals were dotted with small beads of water that reflected the warm yellow from the fairy lights that encircled the tulle lined canopy. Despite the large instrument, there was a small record player already loaded and ready to play. All he had to set down was the needle. Dinner sat in a warmer he borrowed and champagne chilled in a bucket of ice. Honestly, everything looked perfect, especially with what little star light that twinkled from the dark sea overhead — he was just missing one more thing: the girl.
Anton’s dark brown dress shoes made little to no sound as he padded down the dark spiral staircase; Evangeline was already with Clark, so the penthouse was quiet save for Kara as she mulled about. It would come as no surprise if she already had an idea as to what he had set up, or stole a sneak peak or two, but he’d made no mention of it, so he was banking on at least an inkling of surprise.
The ring felt insurmountably heavy.
He wasn’t nervous, not exactly, but he didn’t have the usual confident spring in his step. Instead, it felt like he moved through a thick haze or fog, slowly, as if he were watching himself walk through water. Instinctively he’d run his hand over his jacket, over the place where the ring sat nestled in its silence. Of course it was still there — he was worrying for nothing.
Pale knuckles connected with the dark wood door, the piece open just ajar enough to spot an ocean of golden waves. There was the suggestion of dressing up for dinner, nothing glitzy like the gala, but definitely something other than jeans, preferably. He forwent the usual getup of differing shades of black himself, opting instead for a getup consisting of a white button-up and navy blue, textured slacks. His tall figure was framed by a lighter blue toned jacket, a stark contrast to the shadows that tended to hide him. There was no tie to follow the button line down, though he kept the first few open and undone.
When his black eyes met her vivid and expectant gaze, Anton shared with her a soft smile. He supposed he would always be tormented by the role the good Lord created for him and by those who hunted him, but Kara helped to soften the impending nightmares and whispers in his ear — all she had to do was smile back at him.
Anton leaned against the doorframe and fondly looked her over a moment, his affection evident as he regarded her. “Ready for your surprise?”
Kara definitely lived the type of lifestyle conducive to near death experiences - if she were human, that is.
It wasn’t that she was invincible, Clark wasn’t either, but there was no doubt that they were more durable than humans. The typical blasts or injuries wouldn’t impact her the same way they would impact a non-Kryptonian. That meant there weren’t too many things that frightened her. Often this meant she could be reckless, but she was much more disciplined than when she was younger. In fact, a lot had changed over the years.
That was what was on her mind as she busied herself in the kitchen, wiping away soap suds with a blue gingham towel. There were chocolate chip cookies cooling on the stove that she planned to bring into Eva’s daycare in the morning. She wanted to deliver the news in person about Lucy, thank them for what they’d done for her, and try to comfort them. Maybe they could comfort each other.
It was a loss she knew they would feel for a long time. Lucy had lived with them for so long that Kara had started thinking of her like she was her own, even though she knew better. She knew Lucy couldn’t be with them forever, but she was content to go on not acknowledging it. The little family she’d built with Anton meant everything in the world to her, it always would, even though she didn’t think she could give up being a vigilante. Supergirl was too fundamental to who she was. And Anton hadn’t ever even asked. The quiet respect they gave each other made their home feel warm. Inviting. She enjoyed evenings they spent just sharing the same space.
The quiet predictability brought her a sense of peace she didn’t think she would ever feel again. Although they’d had problems at the start, Kara never once believed Anton would harm her. That hadn’t ever been why she’d left with Eva, frightened, and desperate to put space between them. It was a knee jerk reaction that was a bit impulsive, but Kara had been terrified. She didn’t know anything about this strange mythology surrounding angels and demons and gods. Those were concepts Kryptonians knew nothing about. It wasn’t that she was afraid he’d heard her. On the contrary, she’d always felt safe with him - even from the moment they met, when she didn’t really know anything him him at all., though she couldn’t say why. There hadn’t been any compelling reason she should trust Anton in the beginning. While it was tempting to think that her intuition played a part in her certainty, Kara also knew that she’d been taken in by him. His charm. His smile. Even when she was angry at him, it was impossible to not be taken in by just the way he looked at her.
So she took extra care with her appearance that night. She wanted to see that look from him, the one that made her knees grow weak, and it had been a long time since she’d been given the excuse to dress up. The last time she’d worn a nice dress was that night they danced on the roof, illuminated lanterns hung on ornate, golden beams. It struck her then that their most private, intimate moments involved them dancing together while the world around them melted away. It seemed fitting that the special dinner would take place privately, in their own home.
The dress she chose was simple. Navy, with two red buttons on the waistline. It was understated, but the only fancy dresses Kara owned had been gifted to her. She’d kept her hair simple, curled and loose, and her makeup was (like the dress), subtle and understated.
They didn’t have time alone very often. Kara was excited just in principle, because it was something new to their familiar routine. Typically she found stability and consistency to be reassuring, but it was starting to make her itchy for a change. She’d eagerly accepted Anton’s suggestion that they have a dinner on the rooftop. It sounded romantic. Lately, she’d noticed Anton doing things that were more romantic in nature, and she felt a wave of gratitude for him that made her cheeks burn.
Looking at him, the way he smiled at her, looked at her as if she was any girl and he was any boy, on opposite sides but in love, made her chest swell with a tender love for him. The soft way that he looked at her and at Eva told her more than she needed to know about Anton’s character. He would do anything to protect his family. She would never doubt his priorities.
“I’m ready,” she said, grinning as she went around the kitchen island so she could slip her arm through his. She knew what he’d been doing up there. Kara was a curious person, she was observant, and X-Ray vision helped. She felt a little guilty letting Anton do all the work for their anniversary, so she hoped she could make it up with the present she’d gotten for him. She had it with her now, tucked in her pocket. “And then it’s my turn! I have a surprise for you, too.”
