concordia

twenty one

word count: 1.9k

date written: 5.7.19

verse: unspecified au

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"claire, slow down," elle sighed, bending over to catch claire in her arms before she could run headlong into the kitchen table. she'd been up at the crack of dawn and hadn't stopped for a single second since, running and jumping around the house like her life depended on it. claire looked up at her with bright eyes. 

"but i'm excited, mum!" she said, fidgeting eagerly in elle's arms. elle shook her head, amused but exasperated, and picked her up before pulling out a chair with her foot and placing claire into it. luca looked up when she started tapping her hands happily against the table, frowning at her in confusion. 

"you're so weird," he muttered, returning to his cereal. 

"oi," elle warned, lightly smacking his arm as she passed him on the way to the toaster. he shot her an annoyed look, letting his spoon fall back into the bowl as he turned slightly in his chair to face her.

"well it's true!" he exclaimed, glancing back at claire. "who gets excited about school?" 

"i do!" claire said, grinning brightly at him as she swung her legs back and forth beneath the table. luca rolled his eyes, turning back to his DS as elle brought claire's toast over, setting it down gently in front of her. claire didn't waste any time on digging in. "and this school's new so it's like a big surprise! there'll be new rooms, new books, new teachers, new lessons, new-"

"-kids?" luca finished for her, sheepishly looking down at his cereal when elle glared at him over claire's head. claire slowly lowered her half-eaten slice of toast, eyes wide. 

"new kids?" she echoed quietly, staring down at her plate. she hadn't thought about that. she'd been so busy thinking about the library and the playground and the reading corner that she hadn't spared even a moment's thought for the other students. 

"claire?" elle placed a hand on the back of her chair, crouching down beside her. it was the first time she'd gone quiet all morning. claire turned to look at her uncertainly. 

"i, uh..." she coughed loudly, covering her mouth with her hand. "i don't feel well." suddenly, going to school sounded like the worst idea in the world. she turned in her chair, holding the edge of the table as she hopped off of it onto the floor. "i need to get some rest." elle watched in concern as she wandered out of the room before turning to glower at luca. he immediately sank further in his own seat.

"well done," she scolded, tucking claire's vacant chair back under the table before picking up her unfinished plate of toast. as a doctor, she knew full well that claire was faking it. as a mother, she knew claire wasn't going to give up the charade without a fight. if she gave it up at all. elle sighed, placing the plate on the counter near the sink before she went to find where claire had run off to. luca didn't say anything as she left, pushing his cheerios around the bowl and avoiding her gaze altogether when she passed.

having heard her stumble upstairs, elle already knew where to look first. she tiredly climbed the steps, bypassing claire's room altogether, and turned into her own when she reached the first floor landing. connie was sat on the edge of their bed when she entered and, just like elle had suspected might be, there was a claire-sized lump under the duvet beside her. 

"there you are," connie said, scowling slightly as she got to her feet and joined her by the door. "what were you thinking, saying she can have the day off without asking me first? she most likely only has a slight cold and-"