fragile | clexa

seventy three

___________________________

Lexa knew that Clarke had asked her to join the family's game night in front of Abby and Jake and neither of them had disapproved, but she was still a little unsure whether or not that was her place.

Jake didn't know yet about their relationship, Lexa wasn't sure how much Abby really thought of it and Raven- well, Lexa supposed Clarke's sister wasn't all that bothered by her. Still, Lexa would have been hesitant to join a family night as a not-yet-entirely official girlfriend if she had been a normal citizen, but as the Heda?

Probably Clarke's parents were already somewhat used to having her around once in a while, but Lexa wouldn't have taken a bet that they would be as relaxed that night as they should have been without her.

To her surprise then, she was welcomed rather warmly. Jake opened the door and his from kindness marked face brought up a not all that fake smile upon seeing her. "Heda, it is a true honor that you decided to join us tonight."

"It's an honor to be here," Lexa replied politely and let him take her coat.

The rest of the family was already in the living room, sat around the couch table, and Lexa was a little relieved to see Anya there. Although she knew what light that posed on her as Clarke's invitation, if Raven had invited her wife, and Anya was still unusually reserved, she was glad to know that she wasn't the only plus one.

She settled next to Clarke, who shot her a quick smile that Lexa hated to admit still brought the same flutters to her heart like it always had. Maybe she had missed Clarke a little much over the last days, and she had troubles not to keep looking Clarke. Did she look different? More beautiful?

Probably impossible, but what was that word to Clarke anyway?

They picked a game and it was enough for now to simply sit next to Clarke and enjoy the warmth that radiated off her.

Raven explained the rules to everyone (probably only to Lexa, she assumed the rest knew the game), they made three groups of two each and started playing.

"Actually, I'm not sure why we're playing this," Jake said before they made the first move. "I mean, no one is going to win against such an amazingly smart and beautiful person and their spouse."

Laughter passed the group and he looked at his wife. "You're the spouse, by the way," he added and earned himself a slap on his arm. "Okay, you all know it's the other way around but not with the winning positions."

"Tuck your ego away and prepare to never see it again," Raven countered. "Because we're going to smash it."

"If two fight, the third one wins," Clarke whispered to Lexa.

Raven and Anya did end up ahead, with Jake and Abby closely on their tails and Lexa and Clarke- well, somewhere lost behind them.

"I thought you knew this game," Lexa complained jokingly while she overlooked the mostly hopeless situation on the board.

"Yeah, I last played it five years ago," Clarke gave back and Lexa felt the ease in the room freeze for a moment.

Clarke never talked about that time with her family. Not with one, and certainly not with all of them present.

"Oh," Lexa got out. "I'm sorry."

You could have heard a pin drop, and not as much as a breath was to be heard.

"But to tell you a secret, I already sucked at it back then," Clarke continued without much care and the mood silently got lighter again, albeit a little careful.