Clexa

Chapter 26

-Lexa's POV-

The key turned in the lock and Clarke instinctually stood from the couch and faced the doorway. Abby entered quietly with Marcus in tow. The two of them seemed to be recovering from a joke being told and were laughing quietly.

I don't think that either of them were expecting for Clarke and I to be awake and waiting for them.

"Oh! Clarke...Lexa...what are you girls doing awake?" Abby asked, slightly disappointed to see us.

"I wanted to wait up and see how your date went. I'm assuming it went well." Clarke said and then leaned around her mother to make eye contact with Marcus. "Hey, Kane." She said curtly.

I gave her a small nudge, trying to remind her to be sensitive to her mother's situation.

"Oh...um...hello Clarke." Kane replied nervously.

I wondered if Abby had told him about Clarke's disdain over their date.

"How about we take a rain check on that drink, Abby?" Marcus said as he tried to back up towards the door.

"Don't be silly!" I interjected. "We just wanted to make sure Abby got home safe. And now that we see that she has, we can go to bed. Right honey?" I started to pull Clarke towards the stairs while she tried to keep her eyes locked on Marcus. "Come. On." I said to her a little more stern.

She pried her eyes from Marcus' and when her glance shifted to mine it softened immensely.

"Yeah, what she said. I'm glad you're home safe. Sorry if we interrupted anything. Goodnight mom."

"Goodnight honey. We can talk tomorrow." Abby called after us.

"Sounds good. Night Ka - I mean - Marcus."

"Goodnight Clarke. Goodnight Lexa. See you girls soon."

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-Clarke's POV-

I wanted to be mad at Marcus for how he was betraying my dad. But the looks Lexa was giving me were quickly changing my mind. My mom did seem happy. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.

"See babe. That wasn't so bad."

"I guess not. I'm still not crazy about it though!" I replied.

"Clarke, you don't have to love the idea of it. It will take some getting used to. But I know it'll be a lot easier on your mom if you could be civil and maybe not hate him."

She was right. My mom did seem really taken aback when she found Lexa and I waiting up for them. I would have to talk to her about all of this and let her know that I'm not mad at her. Tomorrow though. Because for right now, both of the Griffin girls had guests to entertain.

I woke up in the morning to the smell of breakfast being made and found an empty spot in the bed next to me. Probably downstairs cooking up some big breakfast with my mom. The way the two of them got along with each other will always be the best thing ever to me. I decided to change and head downstairs to join the two greatest women I know for breakfast.

"Hey sleepyhead, you made it." My mother greeted me at the bottom of the stairs. "Come on, we are all in the sunroom."

We? We who? I thought to myself. But I didn't have to wonder for long because when I walked out into the sunroom I found Lexa and Kane chatting over coffee.

"Hey baby," Lexa stood up to meet me with coffee in hand. "Good morning beautiful." She gave me a small kiss and the cup of coffee that had been made for me. "How'd you sleep."

"Fine." I said shortly. "What's going on?"

"Well, Marcus and I walked downstairs to this one over here cooking breakfast." My mom motioned over to Lexa who smiled with pride. "And we couldn't let her cook alone so Marcus jumped in and the two of them whipped up this fabulous spread for us! Isn't it great?"

"Oh it's something..." I said as I took a seat next to Lexa.

"Yeah, they were the last two people I expected to see come down the stairs at 7AM. But I think it all worked out pretty well." Lexa said and held my hand under the table.

Okay, I could learn to be okay with Marcus and my mom dating. But a sleepover? On the first date!? I'm not open-minded enough for this.

"Lexa here is quite the chef, Clarke. You'll never go hungry with her around." Kane finally spoke after taking a sip of his coffee.

"Okay...I can't be the only one thinking this is weird right??" I looked around the table and asked. "I mean, it's a little weird to be sitting at the table meaning breakfast with Marcus Kane knowing he never left the house last night."

I felt Lexa kick my leg under the table but I didn't care. I had to keep on going.

"It's just that...I mean...last night was your first date! And now he's here for breakfast. Isn't this moving a little fast? Do people your age even date like that anymore?"

"Clarke Elizabeth Griffen you watch your tone. There is a guest at our table. And we do not talk to company that way!" My mother raised her voice at me from across the table. "When you brought Lexa home I wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea. But, I learned to be okay with it because I love you and I could see how happy you were! And all I thought was that you would be mature enough to show me the same courtesy! But I guess I was wrong." She went to stand up and Marcus put a hand on her shoulder asking her to sit back down.

"It's okay, Abby. Clearly the girl has some questions and reservations about this. Let's sit and hear her out. Nobody needs to raise their voice, we are all adults here, right?"

Well that was about the last response I expected to get from Kane. He wanted to hear me out? Okay then. He asked for it.

"Right. All adults." I said.

"So why don't you tell us what's bothering you about this?" Marcus continued.

"Just about every part of it, Kane. You were my dad's best friend. You knew better than anyone the way his passing affected our family. And you promised him you would look out for my mother and I. You've been doing a good job of it. But I'm not really sure this is what he meant when he said that."

Lexa kicked me again and I got a look of warning from my mom.

Marcus sat back and though before responding. I could tell he was choosing his words carefully.

"Yes, Clarke. It's true that your father was my very best friend. And when he passed I told him I would look out for you girls. Having feelings for your mother wasn't something I intended to happen. I didn't choose to pursue this to betray your father. But your mother and I are both adults and this is what we both want. And I can't say for certain but I think that if your father was up there looking down he would be happy your mother is moving on and finding someone to take care of her again. I'm not trying to replace him. Your mother and I are just doing what makes us happy."

Damnit. I was so hoping that he would get more defensive and not say the same things Lexa had been saying to me all night during dinner.

"Told you," I heard my girlfriend whisper as she kissed my temple. Way to add insult to injury, Lexa.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Everyone was right about his and I'm wrong and I just need to be a big girl and suck it up and be happy for you both. Fine. I can do that."

My mom stood up and waked to my side of the table and pulled me into her tightly.

"Mom I said I'm cool with it! You don't have to suffocate me into submission!"

She immediately loosened her grip and took her seat back at the table. Lexa gave me a loving glance of approval and the four of us turned our attention back to the meal before us.

There was talking and laughing and eating and drinking of coffee all morning. Probably one of the most lively mornings my mother and I have had in a while. I could tell she was happy to have a house full of people that she cared about that all cared about her just as much. I couldn't help but think that Marcus was right, if my dad really was looking down on all of us I think he'd be happy with what he saw