Mama, I'm getting married
"Mama! I'm getting married!" A high voice rings through the house as the front door slams shut, followed by a low guffaw, as Clarke becomes a blur - tearing through the house towards her mother, Jake on her trail.
"In here darling," Abby chuckles, "and did I hear something about marriage?"
Her daughter has an appallingly dirty and torn blue cape tied haphazardly onto her shoulder, and a half eaten ring-pop stuck on her finger, as she waves both of them enthusiastically at her. Clarke is flushed, words tumbling out from her mouth in her excitement as she attempts to climb up her mother.
Apparently Lexa had found a cape in school, knighted Clarke as the commander of death before proposing with her ring-pop
"Why not just the commander, Lex?"
"Because I'm heda, and you're cooler than me so you get a cooler name."
Assured, and strong, Abby could imagine Lexa's quiet voice. Her second daughter, always a step behind Clarke, supporting her and giving her strength. The sweetest girl ever.
"Did you know about this, love?" Abby asked, amusedly nudging her husband, one arm securely wrapped around the hyper Clarke. He simply shrugged and gave both his daughter and wife a peck on the forehead before turning and rummaging through the fridge.
"Juice, papa! Juice!"
"Of course, juice for my princess," Jake smiled.
Later that evening, as the Woods household piled into the Griffin's dining room for dinner, it was not surprising to see Clarke and Lexa in matching torn capes and ring-pops, pinkies hooked as they swung their legs in sync.
Lincoln, the sweet big brother that he is, updated the adults on the more specific details - the 'wedding' was to be held in the school's courtyard during lunch the next day, with him officiating. Raven and Octavia were to be Clarke's bridesmaids, and Bellamy Lexa's best-boy.
"I am not a man yet, Lexa," he had argued when she brought the topic up.
"Fine then, best-boy."
"Are we allowed to watch the ceremony?" Gustus asked, elated as he was. "I need to take photos. Ai yongon is getting married." He pretended to wipe a tear off his cheek, prompting laughter.
Through a huge mouthful of food, and ignoring his wife's glare, Jake replied, "I'll call Kane later, it should be fine"
As it turns out, it was definitely fine. The school is small and word travels fast. The teachers are excited and Marcus Kane has already prepped the private school - flower petals coating the courtyard. Octavia insists that weddings have sword fights, and Monty and Jasper promise juice boxes for the ceremony.
Dinner passes easily, everyone preoccupied by the young couple, watching Lexa blush with each bite fed by Clarke. As always, their hands are clasped together. Lexa, ever the quiet one, smiles slowly and nods as Clarke speaks - from homework to imaginary lands. Clarke speaks, and Lexa listens, enamoured.
Anya sneaks them chocolate after dinner.
~
It feels almost nostalgic, after a few years of not having Clarke staying at home, when Abby hears her daughter's voice ring through the house and the front door slam shut.
"Mum! I'm getting married!" Bright eyed and flushed, Clarke is definitely less hyper now. But, Abby thinks with a small sigh, Clarke is still her darling daughter, a beautiful woman now.
A gorgeous woman who's now engaged.
She's watched her daughters grow into their own. Watched Clarke find her own path and develop her interests. Watched Lexa grow stronger and wiser. Watched both of them become more beautiful by the day, and more in love by the second.
Even the way they interact has only grown more comfortable. A simple hand on Clarke's waist, nose nudging neck, unconscious hair twirling on Clarke's part. Their worlds are intertwined, revolving forever around the other's. As Clarke speaks, Lexa listens, a small smile playing on her lips. Her fiancé glances at the sink and immediately Lexa pulls away, gathering mugs and tea, familiarity etched deep in her actions.
One hand reaching towards Abby, Clarke is teary and yet everything is bright and happy. Lexa has always been family. Since the first introductions.
Lexa is pulled away after dinner, by Jake, while Abby gathers her daughter in her arms and thanks the world for making her daughter so happy. They hear loud noises in the midst of their conversation, and quietly make their way towards them. For a second Abby freaks. Lexa is upset, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, and Jake is a mix of worry and amusement.
Immediately taking a defensive stance, Clarke reaches Lexa in three strides. Abby is torn between helping her husband and berating him. Clarke is kneeled, thumbing away Lexa's tears and they all watch worriedly as Lexa grows significantly more upset, head bowed and forehead pressed against Clarke's.
Pressing a final kiss on the tip of Lexa's nose, hands flitting along to her sides, Clarke turns to her father. "What did you do to Lexa?" Her voice is cold and nothing like the bright warmth oozing from her moments ago. It's steely yet softens when she returns her gaze to Lexa. "Babe, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
"I-I just-I told her that she's always welcomed here, regardless of anything. I don't know what I did!" Jake is frantic, eyes everywhere but at his daughter.
Abby swallows a snort and just as she is about to speak up in defence for her husband, Lexa lets out a watery chuckle.
"Clarke," she half mumbles, "Clarke." The family's attention is snapped towards her, and Clarke continues caressing her cheek with renewed vigour, all the while throwing dirty looks at her guilty father. The moment is intimate, and Abby almost averts her eyes, but she remembers that she has changed both Clarke and Lexa before, and presses on.
Everything about them is soft and reverent.
"Clarke," Lexa clears her throat. "Papa G did nothing wrong. I'm just emotional. And happy."
Just like that, Clarke's cold demeanour towards her father falls. She chuckles before rising and practically straddles her fiancé. The mood brightens and Clarke sheepishly provides an apology for being so defensive, to which Jake just laughs and tackles the both of them into a hug.
They leave soon after, with promises of visits and skype calls (even though they live barely a mile away), as they've yet to inform the Woods of their engagement. Abby brings out the childhood photos when they are long gone, and expectedly, Jake produces the most tears as they reminisce old times. Back when their children fit in their arms, and demanded kisses for their bruises and scrapes.
~
The 'wedding' is quite a disaster. Octavia's plastic sword gets confiscated, yet she continues to make loud war cries while brandishing an imaginary sword, and Raven gets into trouble for building her own fireworks. Lincoln makes up half the wedding vows and Murphy accidentally eats Lexa's ring-pop. It starts to rain in the middle of a very bad rendition of the wedding song, courtesy of Gustus, and Abby hopes and prays their actual wedding will not be as catastrophic.
Clarke rummages through the attic for hours after school, before appearing all dusty and messy in front of her mother and practically drags her to Lexa's house.
While eating cookies in the kitchen, Clarke produces the rings she found in the attic, and they have a simpler, quiet ceremony with home clothes and chocolate-stained mouths. The rings are too big for their tiny, pudgy fingers, and when Lexa giggles too hard her ring falls off.
They end up wearing the rings as necklaces, and when their first child is born, their rings are melted and made into an anklet.