A/N: Apparently, I've been on a Frank/Claire kick lately. This story takes place in the same time period as The Interview and The Fallout, but they are unrelated. I'm going to be honest, this story might not be for everyone, I just encourage you to try it out for a few chapters. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Clearly, I don't own House of Cards and I'm, sadly, not making any money of this story either. All similarities to any other stories and/or characters is purely coincidental.
Chapter One.
"I have barely seen you at all this week," Claire Underwood complains to her husband Frank. She rounds the corner of his desk and sits in his lap.
"I know, this whole week has been such a blur," he agrees, stamping a kiss to her temple. Despite their hectic jobs, Frank and Claire always try to carve out some time during the week to spend together.
"I don't like when we don't have our time together, Francis." Claire whispers, closing her eyes at the feeling of her husband's lips on her skin.
"Me either," Frank mumbles and traces a trail of kisses from her ear to her lips. Claire cups his cheek and quickly escalates the kiss. Their lips separate with a smack. He maneuvers his wife so her legs are dangling over his lap. Claire leans her head against his. His arm gently pushes her forward so it can loop around her back. Her fingers skim his cheek, gently bringing his lips to hers.
"Ah…gross…" Thirteen-year-old Hannah Underwood says when she walks into her dad's office. She doesn't need to see her parents making out like horny teenagers, a common occurrence in her household. "Mom, Dad, you two are so disgusting."
Claire lets out a sigh against her husband's lips. She should've thought to lock the door before approaching her husband. They are lucky it is only their daughter walking in on them and not one of Frank's interns. She reluctantly climbs off her husband's lap and sits on the corner of his desk instead.
"What can we help you with Han?" Frank asks his daughter. Hannah tucks a loose strand of chocolate hair behind her ear.
"No offense Dad, but it's hard to focus when you have Mom's lipstick smeared on your lips. Right…there…and there," Hannah gestures to her own top lip.
"Cute," Frank says sarcastically and glares at his wife for smirking at Hannah's teasing. The child's cerulean eyes twinkle with delight, mirroring her mother's. She watches her father duck her mother's assistance and swallows her chuckle.
"How was school today?" Claire asks in an effort to steer their daughter away from commenting further on what she just witnessed.
"It was good. I actually am wondering if I can go to Lauren's. We have that English test to study for. And it looks like you two have some unfinished business to take care of."
Claire and Frank silently confer with each other, ultimately agreeing to let their daughter go.
"Fine, just be home after dinner. And no ditching the detail, we don't need another Maryland incident," Frank orders sternly.
Unfortunately, Hannah inherited her parents scheming abilities. A few months ago, she manipulated her security team and ran off to Baltimore to attend a concert by herself. It took three hours and a helicopter to track the teenager down.
"I promise, I will be good. You don't have to worry." Hannah tells her parents and approaches them, pressing a kiss to each other of their cheeks.
When Hannah closes the door behind her, Claire reclaims her spot in Frank's lap. Instead of continuing their tryst, they merely sit together enjoying each other's company. Frank absentmindedly skims his fingertips on Claire's bare arm as she buries her head in the crook of his neck.
"Our daughter is becoming us…that is terrifying," Claire says.
"I know, I almost miss when she was little. She was a lot easier to manage back then. All you had to do was tell her no and pick her up if you didn't want her to do something."
"I miss those days so much, even if we had no idea what we were doing. We figured it out though, together."
Frank looks down at his wife who has a nostalgic expression on her face. He has a feeling as to where this conversation is headed.
"What are you saying?"
"Nothing…it doesn't matter. It's just something I've been thinking about, but it's not important."
"Yes, it is. Claire, tell me." He puts his hand on her cheek in an effort to coax her into revealing what she is thinking.
Claire avoids eye contact with him. They agreed after Hannah was born they wouldn't have another and so far, they have managed to keep that promise. Sure, they have had scares now and then, but no other children.
"I…I'm saying I've been considering having another baby."
Frank's eyes widen. Claire never vocalized this to him before, which is not like her. She always tells him what she is thinking, whether he agrees with her or not.
"Why haven't you said anything to me?"
He looks almost hurt by her confession. Not because it's not what he wants to hear, but the fact she kept this from him for so long.
"I just figured you were content with what we have." Claire sits up so she is making direct eye contact with her husband. She wants to see his genuine reaction.
"I am, but sweetheart, I want what you want. If you want to start over again after all this time, then I'm more than okay with that."
"You hate children."
"Not ours."
She scans his face for any signs of deception. Finding none, she stamps a kiss to his lips. This is not a choice she made on a whim, she thought long and hard about having another baby thirteen years after having her first one.
"I love you, Francis."
"I love you too, Claire." They briefly kiss again, with Claire being the first to pull away.
"Whatever happened to 'I'm not going to give you a couple of kids and count the days until retirement?'"
Frank laughs at Claire's question, quoting what he said to her when he proposed over twenty-five years ago.
"Things change. Let's go home."
An hour later, Claire's bare form is curled inside Frank's, buried under the comforter of their bed.
"We only have a little time before Hannah gets home," Claire reminds her husband. In response, he grounds his hips into hers, making her moan.
"Don't worry, I'll be done in a moment," he rolls her onto her back and drives deeper into her with each thrust. Claire's nails dig into his back as she feels herself tightening around him.
They hear Hannah walk through the front door just as they are finishing.
"Mom? Dad?" Hannah asks from the living room, too afraid to go upstairs and discover her parents in a compromising position again.
"Are you sure you want another child?" Frank asks teasingly as Claire starts getting redressed. She briefly smiles and then a more somber expression washes over her features.
"Francis, I don't want to tell Hannah…or anyone, in case nothing happens." Frank nods in understanding. There's no logical reason to get their daughter's hopes up until Claire gets pregnant, or doesn't. They aren't exactly young anymore, he is expecting his wife to know pregnancy at her age might be dangerous or not even possible.
Frank and Claire descend the stairs together, eager to chat with their child about her day. When Hannah sees her parents, she shakes her head. She has an idea of what they were doing upstairs while she was gone.
"Hey darlin', how was Lauren's?" Frank asks and sits down on the living room couch while his wife rummages through the fridge in the adjoining kitchen.
"Good. I don't think Lauren and I are going to fail the ninth grade," Hannah says.
"Well, that's nice to hear." Claire comments sarcastically over her shoulder. She returns with a glass of wine for herself and a beer for Frank. Frank pats the empty couch cushion next to him to convince his wife to sit down. Claire obliges and senses his arm wrap around her back. The three of them chat about their day until Hannah goes into her room for the night.
Frank plays a video game in the basement and meets Claire in bed a little while later. He presses a kiss to the back of her neck while his hand slides around her waist, pulling her body flush against his.
"Francis, we should make more time to spend together, just the two of us." Claire whispers, turning her head to face his.
"I agree. These next few months are going to be difficult for us. We have a lot to accomplish and we are going to need to rely on each other now more than ever."
A/N 2: Next chapter, there's a little time jump and someone's life is put at risk. Please leave a review on your way out and thanks for reading!
