Chapter Text
Olivia nursed at her drink with a frown, watching the many strangers at the party amble around in groups of joy. She knew a couple of people here. Vaguely. Robin and Lily had introduced people before - she just didn't really care about their third cousins they only saw twice a year.
Wendall cared - anything to distract himself from the elephant in the room.
Lily sighed on her left. "I don't know how anyone can party at a time like this." Her hands fiddled with the bandages along her arms. She never was good at leaving them alone. "I mean- Wendall had a kid with some woman we've never met, and then she goes missing out of nowhere. How can he party at a time like this? I'd be distraught!"
"I don't think she just went missing out of nowhere," Olivia shrugged, staring into her champagne glass. "I think he must've expected it. Iris told me a few months ago that Wendall's girlfriend was at serious risk of harm. She then asked me if I had any books on hybrid childcare."
"Hybrids?" Lily turned to her with wide eyes.
Both figures turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Robin gave them a large smile, weaving through the crowd seamlessly. Their shoulders relaxed at his presence. Their third had returned.
"Jeez! You two look troubled," He laughed - an awkward noise. "Not enjoying Wendall's party?"
"I don't like parties," Lily groaned.
"And I don't like Wendall," Olivia grumbled.
"Party poopers. The both of you." Robin shook his head lightheartedly. He wrapped his arm around Olivia's waist, gently bumping his forehead against her temple. "What's got you both frowning then? Wait, let me guess. Wendall being his usual pain?"
Olivia hummed, downing the rest of her drink. Lily grumbled beside her, eyes scanning the crowd. They made up most of the young people here (excluding the literal children running around), so they had congregated against a less-crowded wall. Robin liked to mingle around to greet aunts and uncles. Olivia and Lily preferred to sit back and count down the minutes.
"I was just telling Lily about Wendall's girlfriend and how Iris let it slip that his child is a half-elf hybrid."
"Er hat den Schalk im Nacken," Lily muttered. She crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. She restarted searching the gathering for something. Answers, Olivia guessed.
"What about necks?" She asked, turning to Robin. Her eyebrows pinched.
"She thinks Wendall is being suspicious," He translated with a frown. "Herzblatt, I know you two don't exactly get along. What with Wendall being all... You know..." Oh, did they all know it. "He's trying to get better, though, and having two young children presumably would make anyone act a little off."
He paused.
"Wait. Wendall's daughter? Celeste is a hybrid, too?" Robin stepped back to meet Olivia's gaze. His green eyes, wide with confusion, searched her face for something. "She's a half-elf like me and Lily?"
"Iris wouldn't ask for hybrid childcare books for generic half-elves, Robin," Lily grumbled, rejoining the conversation. Her hands tightened around her arms. "She has Winter, after all. I bet Iris has cared for many other half-elves in her time. Wendall's daughter must be half-elven, half-not-human."
"Play?"
A voice sounded from their knees. They all looked down to see Winter - Iris Stal's daughter - holding onto Robin's trousers with one hand, the other holding a blonde-haired doll. Olivia vaguely recalled seeing movie posters for it - something about fairies and a weird blue puffball.
"Winter?" Robin crouched down, meeting her at a more equal height. "What are you doing here? Where are the others?"
The five-year-old pointed towards the sliding back doors. Olivia watched as a trio of children ran past the glass, waving dolls and superhero figures in the air. This party was for adults only. Well. At the very least, children not younger than an acceptable drinking age. Robin stood up, taking her small hand in his (despite the hunch he had to do).
"Come on, Pipsqueak," He smiled, pulling her along gently towards the garden. She followed willingly. A surprise for all. "Let's get you back where you're meant to be."
Olivia followed after him, placing her empty glass on a counter as they passed. Someone would clean in. Not her circus, not her monkeys. Lily jogged to catch up, a frown on her face. From the few times she had met Iris' daughter, she wasn't the type to wander off alone.
Maybe someone needed to talk to Robin?
Robin slid the glass door open, stepping out onto the wooden deck. The large garden housed many toys to play on: slides, swings, and climbing frames, each a vibrant colour and clearly expensive. She vaguely remembered the other children's names in the garden - Ember, Blake and Lea - as they ran past the step with loud laughter.
Gracie Lyons stood off to the side, rocking a little girl in her arms. The child clung to her jumper with tight fists, gripping as if her life depended on it. Long blonde hair covered what remained of her face, not buried in her caregiver's shoulder.
She let out a pitiful sob, loud and distressed.
"Oh, thank goodness," Gracie sighed in relief. Her face remained pinched with worry, bouncing the sobbing toddler in her arms. Her babbles lacked distinction, too worked up and watery. "Iris needs my help in the kitchen, but someone needs to watch the little ones out here."
"Uncle Robin play?" Winter asked again, looking up at him. Her hand gripped the hem of his t-shirt.
"Uhh- S-Sure, Snowflake, we can play!" Robin grinned as he patted her white hair. Robin wavered under the puppy-dog eyes of young children - every single time. "Just let me finish talking with Ms Lyons first, okay?"
She took the request with surprising acceptance - her usual spoilt attitude gone in the face of a potential friend to play with. She ran after the others, holding up her doll and announcing a new plot in their story. Lea and Blake both cheered. The oldest, Ember, smiled, nodding to confirm her idea.
"Is something wrong?" Lily asked, her eyes focused on the back of the toddler in Gracie's arms. As if sensing her gaze, she wriggled in her arms. Her caregiver shushed her, rubbing her back.
"Celeste is just feeling a little tearful today, that's all! Aren't you, Poppet?" Gracie smiled. Her voice went high-pitched in that fake saccharine tone used for upset children.
"Why..." Celeste whimpered, sniffling wetly. Her face never lifted from her chosen hiding place.
"Could you watch them so I can help Iris with the drinks and cake?" Gracie asked, taking a step towards Olivia.
"Sure! We can do that, Gracie!" Robin grinned, putting his hands on his hips like a superhero. Never off duty when it came to saving the day. The gem on his wrist glowed faintly.
Lily met Olivia's gaze with a vague shrug.
"So long as we can leave after," Olivia relented, sighing.
"Yes. It'll be for an hour max. Please?" She didn't wait for an answer, already handing the distressed toddler to Olivia. She fumbled for a moment, opening her mouth to protest. She agreed to watch the children play, not hold the baby! "Ember, Blake and Winter shouldn't be a problem. Make sure Lea doesn't try to eat any bugs, though. You'll be fine!"
"W-Wait!" Olivia froze, eyes wide, but Gracie was already through the back porch door.
"You three are lifesavers! Thank you so much!"
Olivia sighed, looking down at Celeste. Her tiny hands already clung to her, little fists shaking with exertion. She kept one arm under her padded bottom, slowly lifting her other hand to rest against her back. She felt small under her grasp, shaking in her thick sweater. Yet, she didn't feel cold.
A little concerning.
"Hi, Celeste. Do you remember us? It's Uncle Robin and Auntie Lily; we came to see you. This is Olivia. She wants to be your friend, too."
"Why..."
Robin faltered. "Because... We all think you're really kind and nice. Should we play something together? The four of us?"
"She is only two," Lily pointed out with a tilt of her head. Her eyes had yet to leave Celeste, scrutinising something the others couldn't see. "Maybe she's at that terrible twos stage or whatever. Either way, she's too agitated to play and needs a calming presence."
"Well, Liv is perfect for the job then. Do you want your dummy, Sweetheart?" Robin asked sweetly, holding up the object attached to her collar by a ribbon.
"Why..." She whined again, curling into Olivia's hold. Her arms tensed, afraid to jostle her.
"Cause it might make you feel better, Schatz." Celeste turned away from the offering, burying her face into Olivia's turtleneck. She cringed. Toddlers were messy. Runny noses and tearful eyes would lead to uncomfortableness for the rest of the night.
Well... More uncomfortable...
Great.
"Well... You let us know if you want to play, Liebling, okay?" Robin stroked a hand against her head, listening to her sniffle under the loving touch. Celeste gave no reply to his question, not even a noise of acknowledgement. She seemed much more interested in becoming one with Olivia's torso.
Robin sighed, frowning. He turned to the children playing in the garden, putting on a fake smile as he jogged over to crouch beside them. They seemed excited to include him in the game, dragging him over to the large climbing frame.
He thrived in the family lifestyle - despite his own family being... Strained.
Best not to dwell on the idea of starting their very own family.
"He's very attached to his nicknames, isn't he?" Olivia mused instead, relaxing her tense shoulders. She rubbed her hand up and down Celeste's back. Repetitive. Soothing. For both of them.
Lily humed in amusement. "He's always done it, but more since... You know..." She gestured to herself. Ah. Lily's situation which mirrored Zoe's. The straw that broke the camel's back between the Clarke twins and their parents. "I think he's trying to find something to stick with when referring to me. It's nice having something personal like that."
Personal. Nicknames brought people closer together in a subtle yet simple way.
Huh.
"What do you think would be a suitable nickname for her then?" Olivia asked, slowly lowering herself to sit on the wooden step. Celeste shifted in her lap, getting comfortable. Her face turned slightly to glance out from her hiding spot. Her body seemed to relax, hands changing from clinging to holding loosely.
"For Celeste?" Lily shrugged, sitting beside Olivia. She lifted her hand towards Celeste, a slow movement, easy to reject. She let go of Olivia's jumper with one hand, grasping her fingers with her fist. "I mean... Robin likes his German endearments, and I do too, but I think something in English would fit you a little better."
So Lily saw through her innocuous question. Great.
"What... What about Starlight?" Olivia offered. Lily's purple eyes met hers with an unknown emotion. Surprise? Realisation? A flash of a memory? "Celeste derives from celestial, and- N-Nevermind- I just thought- You know--"
"No. No. I like that," Lily smiled, gently shaking the hand gripping her fingers. "Celeste likes it too, don't you, Starlight?"
The toddler nodded sleepily, turning her head fully out from Olivia's chest. Her ear rested against Olivia's heart - surprisingly slow compared to her earlier complaints.
Oh.
"Okay, Starlight," Olivia murmured, rubbing Celeste's back once more. "You're gonna be okay. We've got you."