Chapter Text
*8 months later…*
“Clarke? Have you seen my UNC sweats?”
“What?”
“My college sweats! The lucky ones! Have you seen them?”
“Your what sweats?”
“Lucky!”
“Your what?”
Lexa turned around, hearing her girlfriend’s voice in the doorway. She opened her mouth to respond when she spotted what Clarke was wearing—her faded grey sweatpants, with the words ‘Tar Heels’ printed down the side.
“You’re wearing my sweatpants,” Lexa pointed out, standing up from where she was crouched, rummaging through the cardboard box marked ‘clothes’.
Clarke smiled innocently at her, stepping closer. “I thought the whole point of moving in together was so we could share everything with each other,” she said, looping her arms around Lexa’s neck. “Clothes included.”
“They look better on you, anyways,” Lexa replied, grinning as she rested her hands on Clarke’s waist.
“Flatterer,” Clarke quipped back, gently tapping her finger against the back of Lexa’s neck. “You say the sweetest things to me, darling,” she said exaggeratedly, putting the back of her hand to her forehead and pretending to swoon.
Lexa just grinned. “I adore you,” she declared, taking a moment to stare into sparkling blue eyes, before closing the gap between them, bringing their lips together. She felt Clarke’s tongue touch her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, deepening the kiss as she toyed with the elastic band of the sweatpants Clarke was wearing. Her fingers dipped lower, before she moved her hands back up, caressing Clarke’s skin just under her shirt.
“Yo! Clexa!”
The door to their apartment banged open as Raven announced her presence.
Lexa broke the kiss with a sigh, dropping her head against Clarke’s shoulder.
“Seriously?” she asked, her voice muffled against Clarke’s shirt. Clarke just laughed, rubbing her hands up and down Lexa’s back comfortingly.
Lexa picked her head up, holding Clarke against her as she turned her head, seeing Raven standing in their living room.
“Seriously?” Lexa asked, this time directing her question towards Raven.
“Sorry,” Raven said, shrugging, though she didn’t seem very sorry at all. She tapped her cane against the floor. “You’re the one who wanted to move in to the apartment across from mine.”
“You mean we picked this apartment, and you and O decided to rent the one directly across from us,” Lexa retorted, raising her eyebrow at the girl.
“Semantics,” Raven replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Besides, get used to me being over here a lot. O is only living with me for half the year, anyways.”
Lexa just sighed, but there was still a smile on her face—she wasn’t actually upset. She knew how difficult it was for Clarke, Raven and Octavia to be away from each other. Besides, Raven and Octavia had also become two of her best friends as well—the trio of friends had never made Lexa feel unwelcome or on the outside despite their deep-rooted history with one another, and Lexa was just grateful that she got along so well with her girlfriend’s family. That, plus the fact that she now had a new handful of really great people in her life, Raven and Octavia at the top of that list.
“Anyways, I came over to ask Clarke what time we’re leaving for the game,” Raven continued. “I thought you would have gone to the field already.”
“I’m leaving now,” Lexa answered, releasing Clarke and turning back to the box that held the majority of her clothes. “I was just looking for some sweats to wear to the field.”
“You’re not unpacked yet?” Raven asked, plopping down onto the couple’s couch.
“I haven’t had time,” Lexa said, rummaging through the box. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed, pulling out a pair of U.S. Soccer sweats. “These will do.” She left the room to go change as Raven turned to look at Clarke.
“You guys moved in like, two weeks ago,” Raven pointed out.
“We’re spending this weekend unpacking,” Clarke answered. “I’ve got today and tomorrow off.”
“Ugh, so responsible,” Raven scoffed. “Is this what happens when a couple moves in with each other? They just become all domesticated and boring?”
“We are not boring,” Clarke said, walking behind the couch and flicking Raven in the ear.
She ignored Raven’s outcry and turned to Lexa, who had returned, bag slung over her shoulder and car keys in hand. “Ready to go, babe?” Clarke asked.
Lexa nodded, stepping closer and giving Clarke a soft kiss.
“I’ll see you at the game?” Lexa asked.
“I’ll be the one in the Blake jersey,” Clarke replied happily, laughing as she dodged Lexa’s feeble attempt to swat the doctor’s arm.
“Claaaarke,” Lexa whined.
“I’m kidding!” Clarke said, laughing at the pout on her girlfriend’s face.
“But are you?” Lexa asked, hitching her bag up further on her shoulder.
“Guess you’ll find out soon,” Clarke said, winking.
Lexa simply shook her head before leaning forward and giving Clarke a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Bye,” Lexa said softly, smiling at her girlfriend. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Clarke replied just as softly, matching grin on her face.
“Bye! Love you!” Raven yelled from her spot on the couch.
Lexa rolled her eyes, opening the front door and waving at Raven before closing it.
Clarke turned to Raven, who had taken to rummaging through the box labeled ‘Soccer Stuff’.
“Do you think Lexa would mind if I took this U.S. Soccer windbreaker?” she asked, holding up the item of clothing.
Clarke rolled her eyes, grabbing the jacket and throwing it back in the box. She picked up the box before heading out of the living room and down the hall to her and Lexa’s bedroom, Raven following her. “Let me just change and then we can go pick up Indra and Gustus,” Clarke said, entering the closet in their room. “Mom and Mama B are meeting us at the stadium.”
Clarke stood on her tippy toes, grabbing the jersey she had stashed under all her sweaters on the top shelf in the closet. She held the new jersey up, smiling at the name and number on the back. She quickly changed into a pair of jeans before pulling the jersey on over her head, followed by a jacket and scarf.
“Ready?” she asked, exiting the closet to find Raven sitting on her and Lexa’s bed.
“Let’s get to it, Griff,” Raven replied, nodding her head.
* *
“So you ready for this, Commander?” Kelley asked, turning her head slightly to look at Lexa, who was standing next to her.
Lexa unzipped her jacket before nodding her head, grinning. “Oh yeah,” she replied.
Kelley smiled back before turning back towards the stands, just in time to hear the announcer introduce her name. The older woman smiled, waving towards the crowd before blowing a kiss to little Chloe O’Hara-Solo, who was sitting happily in her other mother’s lap in the stands behind the player’s bench.
“…grew up in Seattle, please give a loud, homecoming welcome to—World Cup Champion and Olympic gold medalist, making her debut for the Reign—number twelve, Lexa Woods!”
Lexa smiled and waved, feeling completely overwhelmed at the reception she was receiving from the fans.
She knew her decision to come home was a major one, a decision that shook the NWSL world—asking to be traded wasn’t something players did that often, and it was a bold move, but ultimately Lexa knew it was the only choice for her.
She had always dreamed of playing in the place she grew up, in front of her friends and family. Lexa always figured she would eventually end up back in Seattle, but when Clarke announced she was moving there—well, it was no longer a matter of eventually. Her grandparents were ecstatic when they found out she was going to be coming back home to Seattle, and had immediately purchased season tickets.
Plus, the look on Clarke’s face when Lexa told her she was being traded to Seattle made any tiny nugget of doubt that was left vanish. Her girlfriend had immediately begun looking for places the two of them could live—one that was close to the field and the hospital.
Lexa had never been happier, and she owed it all to the girl currently screaming her head off in the stands, clapping her hands together with gusto. She spotted Indra and Gustus cheering as well, Lincoln standing next to them, all sporting Seattle Reign jerseys with proud smiles on their faces. Abby was also there, clapping and cheering for Lexa along with the Blake family, though they were all sporting Octavia Blake Spirit jerseys.
Lexa laughed as she spotted what Clarke was wearing—a Seattle Reign jersey, with the number 12 on it.
And somehow, that simple act was what pushed Lexa over the edge, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes as she thought about all that had gotten her here, to this moment.
Playing for her hometown, in front of her friends and family, the love of her life in the stands, cheering for her.
Lexa felt her own heart swell, full of love and happiness, and she gave the still-screaming crowd another wave.
As the announcer finished up, she jogged to the sideline, taking off her jacket and huddling up with her team.
“Why don’t you start us off, Commander,” Kelley said, giving Lexa a smile. “It’s your homecoming, after all.”
Lexa laughed, nodding her head before leaning closer into the huddle, her teammates’ eyes on her.
“Alright ladies,” Lexa said, looking around at her teammates. “Let’s go do the damn thing.”
Her teammates laughed before putting their hands in, Kelley shaking her head.
“Short and sweet, I like it,” Kelley teased.
Lexa just shrugged before laughing, putting her hand on top of the pile.
“Reign on three,” Kelley said, her teammates nodding in agreement.
“One, two, three—”
“REIGN!”
Lexa jogged out of the huddle, jumping up and down a few times. She took her spot near midfield, nodding to Octavia, who was lining up on the Spirit’s half of the field. Lexa quickly glanced out into the stands, her eyes finding Clarke immediately.
Green met blue from across the pitch, and Clarke was smiling that brilliant smile, the one that made Lexa's chest warm and her heart skip a beat.
In a move that she knew would bring a fresh wave of ‘Commander Heart Eyes’ jokes, Lexa brought her hand to her mouth, giving her fingers a kiss and throwing her arm out towards Clarke.
And Clarke—her dear, sweet, beautiful Clarke—simply laughed, before pretending to catch it and pat her chest, above where her heart rested.
Lexa grinned before turning her attention back to midfield. She took a deep breath, shoulders relaxed.
“Do the damn thing,” Lexa muttered to herself.
The whistle blew and the ball was put in play, and the crowd cheered again as Lexa took her first touch in a Seattle Reign uniform, gathering the pass from her teammate.
Lexa was pretty certain the grin on her face remained for the entire 90 minutes.