Work Text:
“Okay,” Lexa falls into the car with an irritated grunt. Her hair is frizzing in every direction, like a physical embodiment of her anxieties. “The parking warden says it’s definitely okay that we park in the children and parent spaces.”
From the driver’s seat, Clarke look at her with poorly suppressed exasperation. Her fingers are tapping along the steering wheel irritably and her lips are pressed together. “Oh really, Lex? We- two people with three children- are allowed to park in the parent and child spaces? That’s a surprise.”
Lexa huffs, her cheeks heating up as she pulls on her seatbelt and Clarke switches off their hazard lights and pulls out of their spot against the curb. “We aren’t parents Clarke! It’s my car that would get the ticket.”
“And how are they meant to know we aren’t the parents? It doesn’t even matter Lexa, the name parent and child is just-”
“Are we nearly there yet?” Miya pipes up from the back, cutting through them before they can escalate into a fully blown argument.
Aden rolls his eyes. “Yeah, we’re outside the airport, stupid.”
Miya’s expression crumples. “Don’t call me stupid! Aunty Lexa, he called me stupid!”
“Because you’re being stupid!” Aden snaps and Lexa turns around to calm them all down.
“Aden, don’t call your sister stupid. And yes Miya, we are here.”
“It doesn’t look like Washington.” Miya peers out of the window doubtfully as Clarke begins to park the car.
“It’s not, it’s the airport,” Lexa corrects absent-mindedly, watching out of the window in case Clarke gets too close to the car beside them.
“Why do we have to fly to Washington if it’s still in America?” Miya asks and Lexa sees Aden roll his eyes again in the mirror.
“Because it’s so far away,” She sees him physically stop himself from adding stupid and sighs.
“But-”
“Time to get out!” Lexa says, as Clarke cuts the engine and the kids are immediately diverted, scrambling to get out of their seatbelts and slide from the car. “Stay there!” She calls after them, “Stay next to the car, don’t run out into the street.”
Clarke clambers out, stretching her tired limbs and Lexa follows her, grabbing her purse from the footwell and offering Clarke a smile.
“Nearly there.”
“Yeah, just a three-hour plane ride to go.” She smiles wryly, but beneath it Lexa can sense her nerves.
“It’ll be okay,” She reassures her and goes to gather up the kids as Clarke rouses Tris from where she’s been sleeping in her car seat. “Okay! Come on, let’s get out the luggage.” She pops the trunk and begins pulling out their bags. Two big suitcases appear from the trunk, followed by a smaller carry on that she entrusts Aden with and a fold down stroller.
“Aunty Lexa, I want a bag.” Miya whines and Lexa searches the trunk and finds Tris’s diaper bag.
“Here,” She bestoys it upon Miya like she’s giving a gift. “Be careful with it, okay?”
Miya nods, beaming as she pulls the strap of the bag over her shoulders.
“Doing okay over there?” Clarke emerges from the back seat carrying Tris in her arms. The little girl is squirming, wide awake again and eager to get down. In her hands she holds the stuffed lion they had to turn back for after half an hour of driving and Lexa eyes it with annoyance.
“All good. We should make sure she keeps a hold of that.” She indicates the toy and Clarke grins, shaking her head.
“Want help with the stroller?”
Lexa nods grimly and the kids are once again treated to the sight of their two guardians desperately trying to open the stroller. It’s supposed to be idiot-proof, but the doctor and the lawyer always spend at least fifteen minutes battling with it before it’s finally up and secure. The kids watch on, bored, as they struggle and by the time they finish constructing it Tris is sagging where Aden is holding her hand.
“We have to get a new one of these,” Clarke wipes a bead of honest to god sweat off her forehead and Lexa nods her agreement, lifting Tris into place. The piece of string that attaches to the stroller goes around the middle of the plush lion, keeping it securely in place and Lexa tucks it in next to the toddler before grabbing a suitcase.
“Okay, time to go kids!” She smiles at them and the kids offer grins back. “You excited?”
“Yeah!” Miya takes her outstretched hand and bounces along beside her. When Lexa glances back, she is pleased to see that Aden has the strap of the carry on over his shoulder and is helping Clarke balance the other big suitcase on its four wheels as she pushes the stroller. “I want to see grandma and grandpa and Washington and the snow and their house and-”
---
The queue to check in their bags takes almost half an hour and even promises of comic books and candy for the plane doesn’t entice the kids into behaviour. After about five minutes of sullen looks, Aden pulls out his Nintendo and starts playing a game, plugging his earphones in. Miya is less easily distracted and Clarke watches Lexa try to calm her down as the girl bounces around the queue, almost knocking over the suitcases surrounding them. Her gut is churning, but at least the kids are enough of a distraction that she barely notices while they wait. Tris fusses and cries when they take her out of her stroller to check it in and Clarke takes her into her arms and bounces her gently, cooing in her ear until she eventually sniffles and nuzzles into Clarke’s shoulder.
“Okay,” Lexa appears next to her, still flustered but adorable in her red sweater and the duffle coat that she couldn’t fit in their suitcases. “We’re doing okay for time.” She checks her watch for what might be the millionth time and Clarke hides her exasperated smile against Tris’s head. “Shall we go and see if the gate is open?”
Clarke peers around to look at the screens and purses her lips, “They haven’t even given the gate number yet,” She cuts Lexa an amused glance, “Because we’re so early.”
“Oh,” Lexa deflates a little and Clarke reaches out to tangle their fingers, squeezing gently.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find something else to fill the time while we wait.”
“Can we go to the arcade?” Aden has deigned to pull out an earphone long enough to listen to them and is smiling eagerly, but Lexa shakes her head.
“No, that place is a rip off.” At Aden’s sullen face, she adds, “And take out your earphones, it’s rude to wear them when people are talking to you.”
Aden scowls, but reluctantly winds away his earphones and puts them in his coat pocket. Miya is beaming up at them, the angel child beside her brother and when she slides up to Lexa and takes her other hand, Clarke can’t help but roll her eyes.
“What shall we do now, Aunty Lexa?”
“Um,” Lexa glances at Clarke uncertainly, “I suppose we could go and get a coffee? Do a bathroom break before we go to the gate?”
“Sounds good,” Clarke offers her a smile and Tris raises her head from where it was buried in Clarke’s neck.
“Potty?” She asks, voice still wavering from her tears.
“Yes, potty,” Lexa gives her a soft smile and together they troop to the bathroom together.
Aden promises to meet them outside when they’re done and Clarke passes Tris over to Lexa, taking Miya’s hand to lead her into a bathroom.
“Meet me by the sinks, okay Miya?” She gives the little girl a stern look, but Miya is already disappearing into the stall. She hesitates for a moment, wondering if she should wait for her to return so that she can make the girl promise to stay where she’s put, but after a moment of waiting she goes into the stall next door.
“Are you okay Miya?” She calls out, sinking down onto the toilet. It’s a new experience, communicating with a small child in a bathroom, but she’d had to soon get over the embarrassment.
“Yes!” Miya calls back and she hears the toilet flush and little hands fumble for the lock.
Hurrying to finish, she steps from the toilet stall to find the bathroom empty. Her stomach sinks and she spins, shouting the girl’s name, but there is no reply. Stepping out into the corridor, her eyes dart about in search of the little mop of dark hair and finds her standing next to her brother, talking animatedly.
“Miya!” She tries not to let her breath catch in her throat, her eyes stinking at the thought of losing the girl. “Miya where were you? I told you not to run off!”
Miya seems startled by her raised voice, her expression becoming quickly trite. “I remembered something I had to tell Aden and I-”
“No!” Clarke’s heart is still pounding, her panic snaking around her stomach and up into her throat as she looks at the busy crowds passing them. “No, I told you to wait for me in the bathroom and you didn’t Miya! It’s busy out here.”
“I’m sorry.” Miya’s lip is trembling, “I just wanted to talk to Aden!”
“You have to promise not to run off again while we’re here, do you understand?” Her panic is slowly receding at the sight of the little girl safe in front of her.
“Yes,” Miya’s lip is still stuck up sullenly, “But I was okay.”
“Miya-” She lets out an exasperated breath, but is cut off by Tris and Lexa returning from the baby-changing toilet with triumphant expressions.
“Guess who went potty all on her own.” Lexa bounces a giggling Tris in her arms, beaming and Tris sticks out her hands, reaching for Clarke. “Oh,” Lexa’s expression drops upon seeing their faces. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Clarke was mean to me.” Miya pouts, moving to Lexa’s side and Lexa gives her a suspicious look as she passes Tris to Clarke.
“I’m sure she wasn’t, Clarke is never mean.”
Her stomach loosens a little at Lexa’s words and she feels a flush of relief when Aden steps in to defend her.
“Miya didn’t wait where Clarke told her to. She could have gotten lost and Clarke was worried.”
“I didn’t mean to! I just wanted to talk to Aden!” Miya stares up at her aunt, impeaching, but Lexa’s brows have already knitted together.
“Miya, you know you’re supposed to stay with one of us when we’re somewhere busy.” At Miya’s trembling lip and dewy eyes she relents a little, taking her hand and squeezing softly. “Well, you know now. Shall we get a hot chocolate while we wait for the gate to open?”
Miya’s face lights up instantly at the prospect of the treat and when Lexa glances at her questioningly, Clarke nods. Lexa takes the lead with the two eldest, leaving Clarke to follow on behind with Tris in her arms. The toddler nudges her nose under Clarke’s chin and places a sloppy kiss against her jaw.
“Clarke! Potty!” She tells her eagerly and Clarke laughs softly, returning her kiss.
“I know baby, I’m so proud of you.”
---
Miya ends up with whipped cream smearing her mouth, though she only manages to get through half of the hot chocolate she chooses. It takes both of them and a handful of paper tissues that Lexa has to fetch from the counter to clean her up and even then her hand feels sticky in Lexa’s as they troop to security. Aden has pressed one earphone back in and Lexa is too tired to argue with him about it; Clarke brings up their rear with Tris toddling along beside her, switching from Clarke’s arms to the ground every few minutes. Lexa trusts Clarke to keep a sharp eye on her, but she can’t help glancing back at her.
The toddler is beaming happily up at them all, enthralled by this new adventure and Lexa feels a pang of jealousy. Clarke really does have the easier child today, with Aden fast approaching his surly teenagerdom and upset that he won’t get to see his friends over vacation, and Miya still grumpy about the bathroom incident earlier.
There is a queue when they reach the security gate and they settle in for the long run. Miya takes her baby doll from where it’s been sat in Clarke’s backpack and sits down to start talking to it. Aden begins to play on his Nintendo again and Tris is happy to sit in Clarke’s arms for a while, peering around at the people close to them. Lexa takes the stuffed lion from her purse and lets her clutch at it, smiling softly at her while Clarke frowns anxiously.
“Do you think she’ll be okay on the flight?” She asks, bouncing the toddler a little. Tris beams at her, utterly content to be in her arms.
“Okay?” Lexa looks at the baby uncertainly, “Yeah, I think so. She’s a pretty happy baby in general, right?”
Clarke hums uncertainly, but gives her a gentle smile. “Not really a baby any more.”
“I guess not,” Lexa meets her eyes and there is a moment of shared understanding, an affection for the toddler between them.
“I can’t believe I’ve known her for half of her life now,” Clarke shakes her head, disbelieving and Lexa blinks, a little surprised to hear it put that way.
“Yeah, but I’m sure she can’t imagine her life without you.”
Clarke’s smile is enough to make her feel a warm glow inside. “Or without you.”
The line moves and they shuffle forward, nudging along the kids. There’s a security guard waiting at the end of one of the snaking lines and Miya looks at him with trepidation, taking in his gun and stern expression. She inches closer to Lexa and whispers loudly.
“Aunty Lexa, who’s that?”
“He’s a security guard honey,” Lexa places a hand on her shoulder to guide her around the corner, but Miya cranes her head around the stare at the man. “He’s here to keep us safe and make sure no bad people get on the plane.”
“Bad people?” Miya’s voice shoots up anxiously. “What bad people?”
“Anyone who might want to hurt us.” Lexa explains and Aden chimes in.
“Like a terrorist.”
“Aden,” Lexa snaps, blushing as the people around them glance at Aden from the corner of their eyes. “Don’t say that?”
“What not?” Aden frowns, “It’s true.”
“Yes, but people don’t want to be reminded of it in the queue to get on a plane.” Lexa rolls her eyes and tries to ignore the way that Clarke is attempting to stifle a laugh.
“What’s a terrorist?” Miya purses her lips, confused and Lexa sighs.
“It’s someone who wants to hurt people.”
“And blow up the plane.” Aden adds.
“Aden!”
---
Getting through security is a nightmare, but even worse are the duty-free stores lining the airport once they pass through security. Their earlier promise to let the kids have a candy and a comic book severely backfires and Clarke leaves Lexa negotiating allowance with Aden and goes to check on where Miya is looking carefully through all of the magazines. She finds the little girl sat on the floor with two magazines placed neatly in front of her, ruminating over them intently. One is pink and sparkly, with a toy crown on the front but the other has a picture of a dolphin on it.
“Hey.” She settles on the floor next to her, Tris in her lap, and Miya looks up, eyeing her suspiciously. The little girl has yet to decide whether she’s still upset with her for earlier, but after a moment she acquiesces. “Do you know which one you want yet?”
Miya shakes her head, looking back to the magazines.
“Maybe you could tell me about them?” She suggests, “It might help you decide.”
“Okay,” Miya smiles despite herself, pointing one finger to the far right hand magazine. “This one is all about animals and different countries.” She tells Clarke eagerly. “It’s got loads of pictures in it and there’s dolphins!” Clarke leans over and reads National Geographic Kids on the cover; she can’t hide a smile. Miya has been watching her way through all of the nature documentaries on Netflix with avid attention. “But this one,” Miya points to one that is pink and sparkly, with a few boy bands on the front, covered in hearts. “Is the one that Natalie March’s big sister reads.” Miya looks up at her seriously, “She’s in the fifth grade.”
“I see,” Clarke processes the information slowly, looking down at Miya’s torn expression. “Do you want to read the same thing as Natalie March’s sister?”
“Natalie March is cool.” Miya tells her succinctly and Clarke presses her lips together.
“Do you want to know a secret?” She leans forward over Tris’s head, lowering her voice and Miya’s eyes widen as she nods eagerly. “This is important,” She tells her, seriously, “It’s a grown up secret but I’m going to tell you now because I think you’re grown up enough to hear it.”
“I am!” Miya nods, “what is it?”
Clarke ducks her head and stage whispers, “When you’re grown up, being cool doesn’t matter.”
Miya leans back to eye her sceptically, frowning uncertainly. “That’s not true,” She says, “Raven is cool.”
Clarke has to stop herself rolling her eyes, but continues, “Okay, but why is she cool?”
“Because she can fly a rocket and be a space lady.” Miya looks at her like she’s dumb. “Duh.”
“Do you think Raven got that cool by just doing what girls like Natalia March did?” Clarke asks, and Miya hesitates for a long moment before finally shaking her head. “No, she didn’t. She got cool by doing whatever she wanted and having her own, unique interests.”
“So… I should get the dolphin one?” Miya asks, and Clarke gives her a shrug.
“You can pick whatever you want sweetheart, but remember that it’s more important what you want than what Natalie March wants.”
Miya stares down at the magazines again for a moment, before reaching out for the National Geographic. “I want the dolphin one. Please,” She tacks on, hopefully and Clarke smiles at her, ruffling her hair.
“You got it kiddo.”
---
Lexa insists that they arrive at the gate with plenty of time to spare. Clarke isn’t sure that she ever realised how much waiting you have to do at an airport before she came through with kids. Fortunately, despite their problems from earlier in the day the kids are pretty easily entertained once they arrive at the gate and Clarke has to admit that she’s glad to get seats while they wait. Tris is settled into Lexa’s lap with her tablet and Lexa lets her watch a cartoon at a low volume while Miya lies on the ground at their feet, colouring with her tongue peeking out. They’d recently graduated her onto felt tip pens and she’s taking the responsibility very seriously. Aden lounges next to Clarke and lets her look over his shoulder while he plays Mario Kart, reluctantly amused by how impressed she is.
She’d tried to play him on the wii at home, but he’d started to complain that it was too easy to beat her and she’d grouched to Lexa, until the brunette had sat her down and told her that she really was that bad.
Lexa pulls a wrinkled paperback out of her pocket, folding back the cover to begin reading over Tris’s head and when Clarke feels that Aden is starting to tire of her interest in his game, she switches to Lexa’s shoulder. She sees Lexa roll her eyes from above her, but ignore her girlfriend’s complaints. When Lexa goes to turn to page, she clears her throat to stop her, eyes still scanning the page. Lexa’s gaze slides to her and she raises an eyebrow.
“Couldn’t you just get your own book?” She asks, with exasperated amusement and Clarke presses back a smirk, shaking her head.
“I like reading yours.”
“You don’t even know what’s going on in mine,” Lexa counters, “I’m like 100 pages in.”
“Don’t care,” She protests, twisting so that she can look at Lexa, “This way I get to be close to you.”
Lexa’s cheeks colour and Clarke watches as she tries to fight off a smile. “You’re a sap,” She says lightly.
“But I’m your sap,” Clarke teases and closes the distance between them to press their lips together briefly.
“Clarke?” Miya’s voice interrupts them and Clarke pulls away again, smirking at the soft groan that leaves Lexa’s throat. “Can we go look at the aeroplanes?” She’s pointing to the large window from which she can see the planes going up and down the runways and Clarke nods, swallowing down the jolt of dread at the reminder.
“Sure we can sweetie,” She gives Lexa a wink, which only furthers the blush on her cheeks, and stands, taking Miya’s hand and letting herself be pulled along towards the window.
Miya immediately presses herself up against the glass, her hands splayed against the window as she cranes her neck to watch the planes take off. Clarke settles next to her with a little more care, kneeling down so that they’re almost at the same height and forcing herself to watch the planes safely taking off and landing. Miya talks excitedly next to her, pointing out the bigger planes and Clarke nods along, her teeth gritted so hard that she is worried she’s going to break her jaw. She’s so caught up in her own head that she barely realises that Miya has fallen quiet next to her. Wrapping an arm around the little girl’s waist, she squeezes gently.
“You okay, kiddo?”
“Mmm,” Miya mumbles, before gathering her courage and saying, “I’m worried… about momma.”
“What?” Clarke’s brows crumple and she eases up onto her knees so that she’s a little taller than Miya, and can look her in the eye more easily. “Baby, why are you worried?”
“Momma is gonna be on her own… at Christmas,” Miya’s lip trembles and Clarke’s heart clenches,”That’s sad.”
“I know baby, but we talked about this remember. We talked about it with your momma and she told you that she wanted you to go see your grandma and grandpa for Christmas. She’ll have a nice time with her friends.”
“I wanna get her a present,” Miya tells her, firmly, “That’s what I talked to Aden about. We’re gonna get her a present with our vacation money.”
“Oh,” Clarke’s eyes flicker back to where Aden is sitting. “That’s what you were talking about when I saw you outside the bathroom.” Guilt lodges into her throat like a hard piece of ice and she tightens her arms around Miya’s waist. It’s in these moments that she feels utterly unprepared for the situation she’s found herself in and she’s tempted to call over Lexa, but she knows that the woman is struggling enough with the guilt of leaving her sister behind alone.
“I don’t want her to think we forgot her,” Miya cuddles into her side, obviously grateful for the comfort. “Cos she can’t have fun with us.”
“Darling, she won’t think you’ve forgotten her!” Clarke presses a kiss to her cheek, her heart aching. “You’re going to have a wonderful time and your momma will want to hear all about it when you come home.”
Miya’s big eyes swivel up to her and her voice is heartbreakingly sweet when she asks. “So we shouldn’t get her a present?”
“I’m sure she’ll just be happy to see you when we get home,” Clarke assures her softly.
“Not even a snowball?”
The question cracks through her anxious, serious haze and she breaks into a small laugh, shaking her head. “I don’t think you’d get a snowball back before it melted honey.”
---
Tris is fussing, has been whining and crying intermittently ever since they settled into their seats in the aeroplane cabin and Lexa exchanges an anxious glance with Clarke, who sits behind her with Miya in the window seat. On Tris’s other side, Aden is peering out of the window, trying not to act as excited as he is. From behind, she can hear Miya talking a mile a minute to Clarke, asking questions about Washington and snow and the plane, and Clarke’s strained voice when she replies.
Tris wriggles in her baby seat, arms reaching out to grab for Lexa and Lexa hushes her quietly, unbuckling her to pull her into her lap. The baby murmurs gratefully, snuggling into her arms and Lexa places a soft kiss to the top of her head. Tris has been crying intermittently since they first took off and it’s breaking her heart that she doesn’t know how to help her.
There is movement from behind her and moments later Clarke is crouched by her side, one eye on Miya, who is staring out of the window in wonderment. Her eyes scan the blonde’s face and she frowns when she sees how pale she is.
“How are we doing?” Clarke asks, softly and Tris reaches out to grab for her with one hand, the other staying curled firmly around Lexa.
“We’re getting better,” Lexa presses a kiss to Tris’s head and she hiccough over a sob in response. “Slowly. I don’t know what it is? The pressure change maybe?”
“Could be,” Clarke coos at Tris, leaning over to kiss her cheek and the baby’s sobs abide for a moment, stuttering to a halt. “She sounds a little better anyway.”
“Are you okay?” Lexa looks at her, frowning as Tris burrows into the crook of her neck. “You look kind of pale.”
“Fine,” Clarke shakes her head, just as the plane shudders, and Lexa watches her swallow heavily, her grip tightening on the plane seat until her knuckles are white.
“Aden,” Her voice is sharp enough to gain his attention immediately. “I want you to go and sit next to Miya, okay? Don’t fall out.”
Aden grumbles, but does as he’s told, wriggling around them all until the seat beside Lexa is free and she’s able to pull Clarke down beside her, taking her hand gently.
“Are you okay? Please tell me.”
“I’m fine ,” Clarke offers her a weak smile, but when, above them, the seat belt sign comes on, she sees Clarke swallow heavily, her lips thinning.
Carefully buckling herself in and keeping an arm around the murmuring baby, she watches Clarke’s shaking hands struggle to clip the two parts of the belt together. A gentle hand on her arm seems to steady the blonde enough that Clarke is able to slide the pieces together until they click and when Clarke sits back in her seat and draws in a deep breath, she refuses to meet Lexa’s gaze.
“I don’t like flying,” She says, after a few moments of silence. The plane judders beneath them, as if one cue, and Clarke’s eyes squeeze shut.
“Why didn’t you say?” Lexa tries to keep her voice as low and calm as possible.
Clarke cracks open her eyes and gives her a wry smile, “What’s the point? I have to fly to travel home, I just get over it.”
“Flying with kids is different, more stressful,” Lexa reaches out and takes one of her hands as the plane shudders against beneath the force of the turbulence. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“I’m fine,” Clarke insists, through gritted teeth, “Go back to looking after Tris.”
Lexa glances down at where the baby is sucking her fist, drooling on Lexa’s jumper, “Funnily enough, she seems to like the bouncing more.”
Clarke manages to let out a bark of laughter. “ Of course she does.”
Lexa reaches over and takes her hand, “Squeeze hard,” She murmurs and Clarke glances up at her from beneath her lashes, before nodding once. A moment later, as the plane wobbles again, she feels fingers tightening, Clarke’s nails digging in painfully. The blonde’s face is drawn and taut, her lips white and thin and as the plane continues to rumble, she goes a little green, her breathing coming sharply.
“Hey, Tris, can you tell Clarke about the sounds the different animals make?”
Tris gazes at her, puzzled, and Clarke’s expression is not dissimilar as she blinks up at her, her vision struggling to focus. “Wha-”
Rubbing a thumb across the back of her hand, Lexa says quietly. “Just listen to her.” She raises her voice a little to get the toddler’s attention. “Hey Tris, what does the sheep say?”
Tris blinks at her, as if she’s crazy, but Lexa says again, calmly. “What does the sheep say, Tris? You know the sheep baby.”
Tris blinks again, her little brows pulling together and her fist drops, damp, from her mouth as she says, thoughtfully. “Seep?”
“Sheep,” Lexa confirms, watching her, and Tris nods, still frowning.
“Seep go baaah.” She crumples up her face when she makes the noise, wrinkling her nose like she’s a sheep and Lexa catches Clarke smiling faintly from the corner of her eye.
“Good girl!” She presses a kiss to Tris’s nose and the toddler giggles weakly, patting at her cheek. “What about the pig?”
Tris is starting to understand this game and she plays along. “Oik! Pig go oik!”
“Close enough,” Clarke murmurs, and her fingers have loosened a little on Lexa’s fingers. “What about the dog, Tris? What does Comet do?”
Tris’s face brightens at the familiar name, “Comet go woof! Woof, woof!”
“That’s right baby,” Lexa laughs, kissing her forehead.
“What about the giraffe, Tris?” Aden’s voice makes them all startle and they turn to see his face poking between the gaps in the seats, peering through at them.
“That’s too hard,” Lexa laughs, shaking her head, “Even I don’t know what sound a giraffe makes.”
“I do!” Miya’s face comes through the other gap. “It goes eeee !”
Aden scoffs, but before he can argue Lexa cuts through, “Maybe, shall we try it? Eeeee!”
The sound draws a startled guffaw from Clarke, whose expression is now one of shocked amusement. “Oh my god.”
“What?” Lexa grins at her, “I’m practicing in case I ever meet a giraffe! Can you do it, Tris? Eeee !”
Tris’s eyes are wide, her mouth stretched into a grin and she copies happily. “Eeee!”
Clarke laughs again, “What about a lion Tris, I bet you know what sound that makes?”
“Lion!” Tris fumbles for her toy, waving him around happily, “Lion! Roar!”
“Yes!” Clarke fingers leave hers to pluck the toy from Tris’s willing hands. “Roar!”
“And you know what roaring does Tris?” Lexa tucks the little girl into her chest. “It makes you brave .” Clarke’s gaze meets hers and their fingers find each other again, tangling and squeezing.
---
“ Clarke ,” Tris’s awed voice pulls her eyes down from where she’s watching her father, Lexa, Aden and Miya pelt each other with snowballs. The toddler is wrapped up in a snow suit that almost doubles her size, her little face shadowed by the fluffy trim on the hood and she squirms in Clarke’s arms to get down.
“Okay baby, you ready?” Gently, she places two little booted feet into the snow and watches Tris take a toddling step forward. She almost over balances as she learns that she sinks into the snow, but after a few steps, she starts to understand and takes a few steps before looking back at the trail in the snow she’s made.
Bending down, Clarke crouches in the snow, trying to ignore the way it soaks through her jeans and makes a little pile. “Look at this, Tris.”
Tris wanders over, curious and together they make little piles of snow. Clarke tries to show her high to roll it into a snowman, but the little girl is only interested in her piles, endlessly fascinated by making them and stamping over them.
When the sun is starting to set, casting the snowy landscape in a pink light, Clarke scoops Tris up into her arms to take in and warm up, as Lexa trudges through the snow to her side. She is covered in snow, her hair coated and clothes completely soaked, but she beams when she gets close to them. Her hat is skewed on her head, falling to one side and her nose is pink and cold when she leans in to press a sweet kiss to Clarke’s lips and Tris’s cheek.
“Well if it isn’t the two cutest girls I know.”
Clarke rolls her eyes, eyeing her. “You’re frozen, you need to go inside and warm up before you catch something.”
“I’m not sure there’ll be enough hot water for all of us,” Lexa glances back at where the kids and her father are making their way towards them. Her eyes brighten and she says, hopefully, “Maybe we’ll have to share, to conserve water.”
Clarke laughs, kissing her cheek, “Oh such an environmentalist,” In her arms, Tris squirms and she tightens her hold, hitching her up in her arms. “But not before this one gets her bath, I think.”
“Of course,” Lexa puts an arm around them both and together they make their way back to the house, where the windows are glowing and smoke is billowing out of the chimney.
