First date(?)
"Marry me, Lexa."
A blush blooms across of Lexa's face, and she fidgets with the hem of her shirt.
"My nontu says that people have to date first before getting married," Lexa says, her hand reaching out to intertwine with Clarke's.
The sun is harsh on their skin, and makes her skin itchy. But Lexa doesn't know if the warmth in her chest is from summer or from Clarke. Everything is loud and the playground is messy - children running amok, screaming and laughing and playing.
Lexa can only focus on Clarke.
Clarke's ultra pretty today, her yellow sundress and flyaway golden hair causing her eyes to twinkle. Lexa cannot decide if yellow or blue is her favourite colour.
Clarke is her favourite colour.
"Well then," Clarke grins, "let's date!"
Lexa knows dating means movies and dinner and holding hands and sharing kisses. But they already hold hands and share teeny kisses. During sleepovers they watch movies together and Clarke always makes sure to share their lunch during recess. Does this mean they are already dating? Her papa will know, Lexa determines, she'll ask him tonight.
"Clarke?" Lexa whispers.
"Hmm?"
"I love you," it's barely there, a drifter over the rowdiness that is their schoolmates, but Clarke hears it nonetheless.
"Silly Lex, I love you too. We're dating now, we gotta love each other. That's what people who date do."
~
That afternoon, after school, before her naptime, Lexa does ask her nontu what to do now that she's dating Clarke, half cradled in his arms.
Gustus just laughs, pressing a kiss on her forehead and says, "If you are dating Clarke, then you're dating an angel, goufa. And us Woods always treat angels good."
She convinces Gustus to help her plan the best 'date' ever, and after an unsurprisingly quick nap, she wears her favourite shirt, picks out flowers from her garden, and has her nontu walk her to Clarke's house.
The adults peek and swoon as they watch Lexa grow steadily redder with each word, finishing her question by thrusting out her arm that is holding the flowers. Clarke is slightly groggy and drowsy from her nap but she is Clarke and she is so bright. The flowers remain by her window till they are almost wilted, and even then Clarke just presses them and makes them into bookmarks.
A promise of a date on Friday, after school. Lexa's nontu will be the chaperone.
Time will not go by fast enough.
~
In school everything is somewhat normal. Lincoln says that if you are dating someone you have to give them presents, and Anya manages to convince Lexa that a good present has to be thoughtful - like a poem, or a song.
It's one of the most humiliating experience ever, standing on the mini podium in the playground, reading out her poem for the world. But it's worth it, especially when Clarke presses her lips on her cheek, and they spend the rest of lunch hour braiding flowers into their hair. The next day, Clarke presents to her a beautiful drawing - it's bright like Clarke, and depicts them in their dream treehouse, surrounded by flowers and animals.
Raven and Octavia laughs at them, but they're fiercely protective too. (Also because they kind of have a crush on Lexa's older siblings.) Everyone is still young, though, everyone still has time.
In class they hold hands while writing the alphabet, and Lexa puffs with pride when Mr. Kane compliments her handwriting, and says that the small flower (that Clarke added as an afterthought) really helps the whole 'aesthetic'. They help each other in math class, stubby fingers locked and counting. The only time they are separated is when Clarke goes for her arts elective program - which Lexa thinks Clarke deserves, because Clarke draws and colours so well. Everything Clarke creates is as pretty as her. And Lexa heads to her language class. It's her mother tongue, her nomon and nontu speak it, an ancient language passed on through time and her family prides themselves in continuing its culture.
~
When Friday finally arrives, and her nomon rouses her from sleep, Lexa is ecstatic.
Lincoln is already off to school, but Anya is there at breakfast, teasing her good-naturedly. And when she walks Lexa to the Griffin's household, Anya tugs her into a hug and shoves her at the same time. It's a conflicting experience but then a kiss is pressed into her hairline and Lexa knows.
"Hello, Clarke." Lexa is shy and humbled and excited.
"Heya Lex! Are you excited for today? It's gonna be amazing and there's going to be..." Clarke rambles and as her hair shifts in the golden light. Lexa is mesmerised.
Papa G allows them to walk to school without holding his hands, and they try their best not to run and skip because that's not what big girls do. Her hand is clammy and Lexa hopes Clarke doesn't notice. If she does, she doesn't say anything.
School goes by quickly, and their parents allow them to have their nap together in Clarke's place. There's a mattress in the living room specifically for naptime, when Abby wants to spend more time with her daughter while working from home. Sometimes Jake pops in from his study to smother kisses, and between drifting in and out of sleep, Lexa feels so full, and strangely sad - like there's something bad happening in the far far future. It's an awkward feeling, the nostalgia and heartache, at such a young age, but then Clarke shifts closer to her, and Lexa feels mama G's gentle caress on her back and slowly closes her eyes.
The ache is gone and contentment seeps back into her bones.
There's a peaceful quiet that afternoon, a warm glow and a soft, muffled love.
Clarke is always slightly cranky after naptime, grumbling and silent and slightly frayed at the edges, but when the doorbell rings and jolts them from their nap, Clarke is anything but grouchy. She shoots from the mattress, tugging Lexa to her feet - the pitter patter of their tiny feet along the floor to the front door, panting and giggling as they open it.
Gustus stands tall and wide, wearing a very formal suit, and holding a humungous bouquet of flowers. "My highnesses, are you ready for your date?"
They are ushered into the bedroom to change by Abby, Clarke into another of her sundresses and Lexa into her carefully chosen romper. Their hair is brushed and mama G is so warm and soft and loving.
~
Their 'date' consists of a dinner at MacDonald's and a short drive to the park, but it is adorable and sweet. Gustus trails along like a butler, his suit standing out in the harsh light of MacDonald's, but Lexa is holding Clarke's hand and being fed chicken nuggets, so everything is perfect.
That evening the adults receive a galore of photos from Gustus, and a play-by-play description of their 'date' in their group message. It's sickeningly sweet and adorable, and Jake sheds a tiny tear.
In the years to come, Gustus chaperones another of their dates, and despite the slight awkwardness of having your father follow you on a date, Lexa thinks it's a great callback to their first ever date.
~
The date ends with Lexa insisting she walk Clarke to her door the same way she sees people do on shows, and Clarke gives her a peck on the lips and Lexa is overjoyed.
At six, her first date is a success.