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Clarke sighed as she stood at the balcony of her room, overlooking a festively lit up Polis. Snow covered rooftops and streets. Festive lighting hung here and there. It lit up the entire city in the nighttime. She put a hand on her swollen belly and felt a kick. Clarke smiled. Her and Lexa’s child. The thought still brought a smile to her face. It had been a long time coming. Their love and peace had never been an easy one. They’d had to fight Titus. They’d fought the ambassadors. It had led to a declaration of love to (what seemed like) the world.
When it was all said and done though, the countless hours she was able to spend with Lexa. In her warm embrace as if none of the terrors of what they had done could touch them. Never in her life had she thought she would be bringing a precious life into the world with Lexa. An innocent baby who wasn’t tainted by the harshness of this world yet. A mini version of her and Lexa.
“You see all of this and all the people in this beautiful place? Lexa built this for us, little one. And once again she’s off fighting for it to remain this way…” Clarke gave a small sad smile.
It wasn’t that she wasn’t used to it or couldn’t handle it. Still, you couldn’t blame a woman for wanting her wife around when she was so pregnant she couldn’t see her feet. She would’ve loved a massage at the end of a long day of negotiations and meetings. It was too bad Lexa wouldn’t be around this year. She had hoped Lexa would help her find a tree in the woods and bring it back to their room to decorate. Even if they had been trailed by guards, it had always been a nice activity.
There was no hope of doing so this year. Of course she could ask the servants to bring her a tree, but it didn’t quite have the same meaning as going with Lexa to find one, haul it home, and decorate it. With Clarke’s pregnancy though, she would be lucky if she could reach enough of the tree to decorate it. Nevermind finding the tree in the first place. Besides, Lexa’s last letter had told her that she would be home later than expected.
Then the door banged open. Clarke whipped around, hurling the dagger strapped to her leg at the intruder. With a thunk it sunk into the wood of the door. Only then did she finally realize it was Lexa. Lexa had tilted her head to avoid the dagger. Said dagger was stuck to the door, inches from her face. “Spichen, Klark!” she cursed.
Shit . She just almost killed Lexa. Wait. Lexa? The sight of Lexa made Clarke’s happiness spike.
The Heda struggled to regain her grip on...a tree? Clarke walked off the balcony back into the room and peered past the door. Carrying the other end of the tree was one of Lexa’s war generals. Confusion seeped in.
“What is this, Lexa? I thought you would be coming back late?” Clarke’s brow furrowed. Five seconds ago she had been lamenting the fact that Lexa wasn’t going to be home for the holidays.
Lexa frowned, her lips turning into a pout of confusion. “Yes, ai houmon. So I could stop in the woods to get us a tree. In your letter before that, you said you wished to decorate a christmas tree with me this year.”
Clarke blinked, taking in the new information. Lexa was never going to let her be alone during the holidays. The gesture was so sweet Clarke’s heart warmed. The leader of all thirteen clans had personally chopped down a tree and carried it home for her. Then tears welled from her eyes and her vision blurred at the edges. Damn her hormones. “Oh Lexa…” She rushed forward and threw herself at the said woman, forcing Lexa to drop the tree so she could catch Clarke. Why was Lexa so sweet to her?
Lexa felt so warm compared to the cold, chilly, air on the balcony. Clarke took a deep breath. She smelled like the best parts of the woods. It was a mix of something earthy, musky, and still possessed a feminine edge. Vaguely, Clarke heard Lexa dismissing her general and heard the tree thunk to the ground.
Then they were alone and Lexa was picking her up, spinning her around. Clarke couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help but let out a thrilled laugh. The world whizzed by around them as Lexa spun them around in a tornado of joy. Lexa laughed with her and whooped, grinning up at her with eyes that brimmed of shining adoration.
After a while Clarke said, “C’mon! Let me down Lexa. I’m heavier than I was a few months ago. It might hurt you.” She gave Lexa’s shoulder a light and playful slap. Although Clarke found it downright sexy that the Heda had the strength to do this, she also didn’t want to get dropped or accidentally break Lexa’s bones from her weight.
Lexa heeded her words and stopped spinning her around, but didn’t put her down. Clarke wrapped her arms around Lexa’s neck and pulled them close. Her heart had so many words for Lexa that she hadn’t been able to say while she was away. Clarke leaned her forward against Lexa’s and looked into her eyes. The oh, so, green eyes that made the breath catch in her chest. Green eyes that sparkles like emeralds in the lighting of the candles lit around them. Green eyes that could captivate Clarke, and Clarke wouldn’t be able to look away. The rest of the world went away.
Lexa’s very kissable lips curled into an amused smile, as if the thought that Clarke could be too heavy for Lexa to lift was ridiculous. On anyone else it would’ve enraged Clarke. In fact, her stoic confidence had pissed Clarke off at first. Somehow, it was now endearing.
“I missed you”, she murmured. Clarke smiled when Lexa’s face flushed at the confession despite their time together.
Lexa gave her a bashed smile. “I have missed both of you too, ai hodnes.” Clarke could see the gears turning in her head as Lexa paused and looked down at the baby bump sandwich between them. Remorse bloomed on Lexa’s face. “I apologize if I was clear in my letter. I didn’t mean to cause you distress.”
Clarke shook her head. “No.” How could she possibly be angry at Lexa? Lexa who would go out of her way to drag a tree home, even though she must be tired after suppressing a revolt. Wait. She was just in battle. Realization dawned on Clarke that Lexa could be hurt and hiding it for her sake. God knows Lexa was good at putting on a mask for people.
Clarke pushed away with a start. “Lexa, are you hurt?”
Lexa shook her head with a tiny smile. She was used to Clarke questioning her like this about her physical condition after every battle. It had almost become a ritual between them since the battle with Roan. Clarke would always patch her up. Clarke hastily pulled Lexa’s armor and coat off, deftly working the belts and buckles. When she was finally satisfied that Lexa wasn’t hurt except for a few small bruises and scrapes, she returned her eyes to Lexa’s face. Lexa was patiently waiting as she always was.
Clarke’s whole world lit up when Lexa’s face split into a giant grin at the attention she gained. She looked like a kid who got candy. “How about we decorate this Christmas tree now?”
Clarke sighed and just pulled her into a hug. “Sure. After you come to bed and cuddle me.” Lexa was home for the holidays. There was nothing more she could ask for.