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There weren’t a lot of things that caused Anya stress, she liked to consider herself a pretty easy going person. But there was always one thing that got her riled up: seeing her sister get hurt by the people she loved. It happened when their parents both left them with their uncle “for the weekend” but never came back. When Costia told her not to worry but then jumped from a bridge the next day. When Anya had never seen Lexa so devoted to anyone as much as she was to Clarke, and Clarke said she wanted to date other people. Specifically, her roommate, Raven.
“It’s not that she wants to date someone else,” Lexa corrected her. “It’s that she wants to date me and Raven. At the same time.”
“Won’t that get complicated?” Anya asked.
“No,” Lexa replied simply and confidently.
Anya’s brow quirked upwards. “Just be careful, squid. If Clarke betrays your trust—“
“Which she won’t.”
“But if she does, I will come after her. Do you understand?”
“Perfectly clear,” Lexa chuckled.
They both got up and cleared their table, taking their trash to the bins and clutching their coffees tight to their bodies as they stepped into the cold, crack-of-dawn air. Lexa checked the time on her phone and groaned.
“Professor Groff is going to kill me if I’m late again!”
She ran off.
“See you later, squid. Be safe,” Anya muttered even though Lexa was well out of earshot. She couldn’t stand to see her get hurt and this was the exact recipe for disaster. A quick glance at her messages informed her that she would also be getting an earful from work if she didn’t head over right away.
The bakery was packed and there was a line down the block when she arrived. The patrons cast her angry looks as she cut through the crowd in the store, having seen the delivery truck out back blocking the employee entrance. In the break room, Anya threw down her bag and chugged the rest of her coffee, tugging her apron over her head. She tied the strings behind her and took a steadying breath, preparing her mind for the chaos of the morning rush.
———
“Anya wasn’t keen on the idea, I take it?”
Clarke pressed her fingers into Lexa’s shoulders as she settled into Clarke’s lap on the couch, coaxing out the tension of the day. The TV played quietly in the background of their conversation, having just turned it down instead of turning it off. Maybe they felt it would be better to ease the silence of an uncomfortable conversation they would rather not have, but Lexa found it helpful in drowning out unwanted thoughts of Anya’s rejection.
“I just think she doesn’t understand,” said Lexa. “We’re expected to live a heteronormative, nuclear life and she’s on her way to completing that goal with Hans. Obviously I didn’t go down that road so I’ve been all but excommunicated from the family, Anya is the only one who still talks to me. Her support is one of the only things keeping me going these days. I couldn’t bear to lose it.”
Clarke wished she had the right words to heal Lexa’s heart. It pained her to see Lexa like this, broken and dejected, when she was normally so strong around others. Instead she continued to massage her shoulders and said, “You have family here, too, you know.”
Lexa looked up at Clarke with grateful eyes and a small smile. “Chosen family is often worth more, isn’t it?”
———
“Come here, you’ve got ice cream all over your face.” Lexa tried to dab at Clarke’s cheek with a napkin.
“I got it, I got it,” Clarke whined. “Lexaaaa.” She pawed at Lexa’s hand until she gave up, tossing the napkin back on the table in defeat. “What’s up, babe? You only bring me ice cream when you’ve done something to upset me.”
“What do you think of inviting Anya and Hans over for dinner tomorrow night?”
Clarke picked up the napkin for herself and started wiping her face. “I think it’s a good idea, but something we've done before. What will be different this time that you’re so nervous about?”
“I’m not nervous, just...what if we asked Raven to come over, too?” Lexa ventured. “Maybe Anya will change her mind about you two.”
“Lexa,” said Clarke as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. “I’m not going to let Anya’s opinion of my life choices get in the way of being with who I want to be with. And you shouldn’t either.”
Lexa hung her head. “I know.”
“Why don’t we invite them over to dinner at my place instead of yours, and then Raven can just happen to be home if she wants. But I won’t have her scrutinized or judged if she doesn’t want to be.”
“That...sounds like a much better option.”
“I’ll talk to her about it when I get home tonight.”
“Thanks, Clarke.” Lexa leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“And Lexa?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you, for letting me give it a try with Raven. We both really appreciate it.” Clarke bit her lip and tucked her hands under her legs, fidgeting as she fought off a wide smile. “Things are going well, so far.”
Lexa couldn’t hold back a smile, either. It really made her happy to see Clarke happy, that’s all that mattered to Lexa at the end of the day. “That’s great to hear.”
———
Clarke flopped back on the bed and sighed, unable to get comfortable enough to sleep. Her mind was still reeling from her night out, but in the best possible way.
“Can’t sleep, love?” Lexa rolled over from her usual position facing away from Clarke’s side of the bed.
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Not really, I have the required equations for Groff’s midterm tomorrow flashing before my eyes every time I close them.” She found Clarke’s hand under the blanket and squeezed gently.
Clarke squeezed back. “Raven kissed me today.”
“How was it?” Lexa asked, genuinely excited for her. She didn’t feel a pang of jealousy, or anger, that Raven was taking Clarke away from her. It felt...right.
“It was good...different from you, but good. In ways I could definitely get used to,” Clarke grinned. “She does this thing with her tongue that just makes you feel it all over.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm.” Clarke started tracing a distracted pattern across Lexa’s collarbone. “I can show you if you want.”
Lexa hummed in frustration. She could not be late to or miss her midterm in the morning. “I have to be up at five-thirty, remember?”
“Five minutes, tops.”
And when Clarke was kissing her like that...Lexa learned that five minutes was far too many. It should have been embarrassing, but things like this were always better with Clarke and she had given up on being embarrassed long ago. She loved that Clarke could make her feel this way and did her best to return the favor. She loved Clarke and everything about her, that Clarke could love as much as she did and still elevate herself above others, radiating like the sun.
———
They snuggled under the covers, sighing in content at the end of a long day. Clarke draped her arm protectively over Lexa’s stomach and kissed her cheek.
“I love you,” she said. “Good job on your presentation today.”
Lexa turned her head to kiss Clarke with a happy smile. “I love you, too.” She reached over and opened the nightstand drawer. “This might be weird but...I got Raven something. For the nights when you’re here.” She produced a small stuffed lion and presented it to Clarke.
She took it and perched it between them. “Better warm him up for her, then,” Clarke joked. “Or her. Them? Raven should be the one decide.” She combed her fingers through the lion’s mane. “She’s going to love it, thanks Lexa.”
“A happy Raven is a happy Clarke, which makes a happy Lexa.”
“Oh? So you’re only being nice to her for personal gain?”
“Fine, I’ll be more mean to her from now on,” Lexa teased, turning to face away from Clarke and tugging her arm to bring her with her.
As Clarke shifted closer to spoon her properly, she tucked the lion in Lexa’s arms. She pressed her lips against her bare shoulder, saying, “I think Raven wants to plan my birthday with you. She hasn’t said anything officially, but I have a hunch because she’s been pacing back and forth muttering your name and calling people about balloons.”
“I’d love to,” said Lexa. “Have her call me and we can work out a good time to meet.”
———
“Hey, um, Clarke?”
“Yeah, Raven?” Clarke looked up from her watercolor practice.
Raven was standing awkwardly in the doorway of Clarke’s bedroom, fiddling with her hands. She shoved them in her pockets and shrugged. “Nevermind, it’s dumb.”
“No, no, come here.” Clarke put down her materials and wiped her hands on a nearby rag. She got up and sat on the bed, opening her arms for Raven to come join her.
Once they were settled, Raven said, “I want to ask Lexa out. And I wanted to know if that was okay with you. Or if I’ve been reading the signals wrong, because I thought we had a moment the other day at dinner, and then she got me the lion, and — “
Clarke smiled. “Of course you have my approval, Rae. I don’t think you’ve been reading any signs wrong, Lexa definitely feels something, too.”
“You really think so?”
“If I’m wrong I’ll break up with her to save you the embarrassment of having to see her ever again.” She kissed Raven and hugged her tight, feeling her heart flutter nervously through her back. “I really think she’ll say yes, though.”
“I hope so, anyways. Do you think she would like something small or should I go big? Like a big prom ask. But then it might look like I’m proposing and I don't want people to get confused. I’m still nervous she’ll say no...”
Clarke pulled back and held Raven’s face between her hands, brushing back stray hairs with her thumbs. “Raven. I love you, I believe in you. Please remember that in everything you do, Lexa included.”
Raven averted her gaze and blushed profusely, the double meaning not lost on her in the slightest.
———
Lexa wrestled her keys from her pocket with her free hand, the other occupied by a hefty stack of books she picked up from the library. “Clarke,” she called once she got the door open. She unceremoniously dropped the books on the entrance table and shrugged off her jacket, wondering where Clarke could possibly be on her one afternoon off that week if not laying half dressed on the couch watching Bob’s Burgers.
She ventured further into the apartment to her bedroom. “Clarke, love, I picked up those books you needed — Oh, Raven. What are you doing here? Did Clarke let you in?”
Raven had quickly slipped out of Lexa’s room, opening the door as little as she could so Lexa couldn’t see inside. “Nothing. Clarke said she had to go to, uh, an art thing. She had a thing at the art center that she couldn’t miss. For extra credit.”
Suspicious. Clarke never did anything beyond what was asked of her academically, and she hadn’t said anything to Lexa about her grades tanking recently.
“Oookaaay,” said Lexa. “I don’t know if that explains what you were doing in my room while I wasn’t home, though.”
Raven took a deep breath and blurted, “Do you want to go on a date with me?”
Lexa blinked in surprise. “Yes?” Why did that come out as a question, you idiot? Now she’s going to think you don’t actually want to go. “I mean, yes, I do. I want to go on a date. With you.”
She wrung her hands nervously, feeling her face grow hot. Since when had she gotten so clumsy with words? Since Raven and Clarke came into her life, apparently.
“God, I’m so sorry I can’t form a cohesive sentence,” she laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.
But Raven was also shuffling her feet and avoiding eye contact. “Great. Fantastic. I’ll pick you up at six on Friday for dinner?”
Lexa finally got a hold of herself. She tucked her finger under Raven’s chin, guiding her to look up at Lexa with wide eyes. “I’ll be ready,” she said, smiling gently.
“Oh, and, uh, it’s going to be totally casual by the way,” Raven blushed furiously. “Jeans are good. That top is good. You always look good in whatever.”
Lexa leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, birdie.” She took a step back, releasing Raven’s chin. “Now I suspect Clarke is just on the other side of that door listening, so why don’t we ask her to join the cuddle fest that’s about to happen on the couch?”
The door flew open immediately and in a flash of gold, they were enveloped in Clarke’s warm embrace. They all laughed as they were thrown off balance and hurried to right themselves.
“I’ll go make some popcorn,” said Clarke. “Go get settled on the couch, but don’t start without me.”
Lexa and Raven made themselves comfortable on the couch, stuffing a couple of pillows underneath Lexa’s back so she could lean against the arm of the couch and Raven could lay on top of her. They left enough room at the other end of the couch for Clarke to join them if she wanted to, otherwise she could wrap herself in her own blanket.
“Bob’s Burgers or Shameless, your pick,” said Lexa.
“Bob’s Burgers,” said Raven. “It’s Clarke’s afternoon off and we all know she’d rather be watching that then doing anything else right now.”
“Not true!” cried Clarke from the kitchen. “I’m just as happy watching something else today, as long as it’s with you two.”
Raven rolled her eyes. “Sucking up doesn’t help your case, Griffin.”