Summary: AU, Drama/Romance/Fluff, Bellarke. 3x the Griffin/Blake family cook for each other (first Clarke, then the kids, then Bellamy) and 1x somebody else cooks for them.
Rated M – for adult content (it's probably over-cautious).
Disclaimer: Just borrowing The 100, not for profit!
A/N: This fic is a part of a domestic fluff series I created because I need fluff! The first part is DISSENT. It's not crucial to read that first, but it might give some context.
Name pronunciation (I'm Australian so it might seem different to the way you would say it): Terran = Tare/ren, Aithne = Eth/nee, and I think Ashwin is pretty obvious.
NOURISHMENT
Four.
After a chaotic day at work, Clarke was not looking forward to preparing the family for Octavia's dinner party. Due to the relatively short notice, she'd had to swap shifts to get the night off, which meant working day roster leading up to the dinner and an unfortunate early the next morning.
Clarke had an inkling, however, that Octavia had something important to share, and she didn't want to miss the moment, or disappoint her sister in law, whom she loved.
Fortunately, thanks to her and Bellamy's freakish teamwork, they managed to get themselves and their three ferals organised without too much fuss.
Okay, so Clarke had to pick her battles when Ashwin wouldn't wear the outfit she'd ironed for him and instead insisted going in his magician's costume, complete with top hat, coat tails and white gloves. And Bellamy had to grin and bear it when Terran turned on the water works because he didn't want to shower on his own.
At first Clarke was annoyed because she'd been trying to get their youngest to be independent with small things for months, but she didn't mind so much when he and Bellamy emerged from the ensuite with matching towels wrapped around their waists. The sight of her husband half naked with droplets of water hanging from the ends of his too-long curls and beading on his broad shoulders made her stop mid-way between sliding on her stockings.
She didn't miss the way his eyes raked over her legs in return, as he lead the toddler to his room to get dressed.
"We should try not to leave too late tonight," he said with a turn of his head as he was half way down the hall. "Early shift and all," he smiled suggestively.
Clarke scoffed, knowing exactly what was on his mind. "I don't think Octavia will take too kindly to that," she teased.
As it turned out, nothing could have touched Octavia's temperament that night. She was on cloud nine from the moment she met them at the doorway, dressed in a loose fitting cream chiffon top, jeans and bare feet. She looked so young, Clarke thought, and yet she had grown up so much in the last six years.
Octavia had always been an oxymoronic mix of mature naivety, but lately she'd come a long way to finding balance.
Whilst they acknowledged it was entirely Octavia's journey and that she had ultimately got their on her own, Clarke and Bellamy agreed that a certain person had a huge influence on her new, chill self.
"So glad you guys managed to make it, sorry about the short notice." Octavia ranted as she met them at the stairs, stretching forward to kiss Clarke's cheek and take Terran out of her arms for a cuddle.
"Where's Monty?" were the toddler's first words to her.
"Oh that's how it is?" Octavia raised an eyebrow. She was well aware of Terr's propensity for the men in his life, but it didn't stop her plying him with love and affection. "You terror!" she kissed him silly.
It was obvious Terr gave Octavia's hubby the Griffin/Blake seal of approval too.
But how could you not love Monty?
Especially when he tried out his new menu plans on his family and friends.
"Where's everybody else?" Bellamy asked as he shook hands with the chef and they embraced each other with a knowing look in their eyes.
"Octavia wanted you guys to be here before the rest of them…" Monty trailed off, stirring something on the stove.
"It's been a while since you've done something like this," Clarke smiled, returning from the rumpus room after coaxing Terr away from the kitchen with the promise of plastic jungle animals.
"Yeah, well, life and all that…" Monty waved a hand in the direction of the refrigerator. "Help yourself to some brew – I pulled a new batch out last night," he added, referring to his home made beer.
Clarke wrinkled her nose at the thought. She didn't think it was much better than Bellamy's broccoli soup, to be honest, but then she wasn't much of a beer drinker and tonight she was designated driver.
Bellamy cracked one for Monty and himself, clinking his bottle against his brother in laws and toasting to "Saturday nights with the squad."
"Hey hold up," Octavia entered the room, fussing around getting herself and Clarke a (non-alcoholic) drink. "Since we're toasting already," she moved over to the stove and wrapped her arms around Monty's middle. "We have something to tell you."
Bellamy and Clarke exchanged goofy grins as Monty lifted his arm and draped it around Octavia's shoulder, pressing his cheek to her cheek as he smiled at her with so much compassion, Clarke's own heart swelled.
She remembered what this moment felt like. She'd felt the same when her and Bellamy had first told their family.
"We're having a baby," the two of them said, still looking at each other with adoration, before finally turning back to their guests, both of their eyes on Bellamy.
Hiding his delight with a duck of his head and a hand through his hair, Bellamy stepped forward with his arms out, inviting his sister into his embrace.
Behind them Clarke and Monty rocked side to side in a happy hug, both of them grinning from ear to ear.
"So thrilled for you both," she said, standing back and holding Monty's shoulders while she wiped an errant tear of joy from her cheek. "You deserve all the happiness."
It had been a hard road for both of them.
After Octavia lost Lincoln, she became lost – even to her brother.
Then tragedy befell Monty's family as well and the two of them leant on each other in their hour of need. After that they grew closer and closer together. They'd always been the best of friends, along with Jasper – the troublesome trio - as Bellamy used to call them in High School.
Everybody had expected them to have babies as soon as they were married, but Clarke was glad they did it their way. They had still been healing.
"You're ready for this," Bellamy said to the both of them, shaking Monty's hand once more.
"I guess," Octavia shrugged. "As ready as we can be for the end of the world as we know it!"
They all laughed.
"It's not the end of the world O," Bellamy smiled, his voice a little deeper, more protective. "It's just the beginning."
"I know," she sighed. "But it is a little scary!" The look in her eyes was wild with a mix of adrenaline and awe.
"What's scary?" Aithne asked, entering the kitchen and taking in the tight huddle of adults with her eyebrows arched.
Bellamy gestured for her to lean into him for a side hug, which she did, always eager to show her affection for her father.
He looked to Octavia who nodded in acknowledgement.
"What's scary is that you, Terr and Ash are going to be big cousins."
"Again?" Aithne gasped. "You mean Uncle Nate and Uncle Bry are having another baby?"
Clarke entertained that idea for a moment. They already had four.
"Not exactly," she said. "Aunty O and Uncle Monty are."
"Really?" Ethy squealed, reaching out to O for a cuddle straight away. "That's so cool!" After a second or two she stepped back. "Can I name the baby?"
Octavia snorted and turned to Bellamy with her brow furrowed. "You've created a monster!"
Standing around the kitchen, the smell of Monty's cooking filling her stomach with promise and the sound of their laughter singing in her ears, Clarke realised how much she'd missed these extended family meals.
When the doorbell rang and Octavia and Aithne walked off hand in hand to answer it, Clarke wasn't surprised when Bellamy shuffled up beside her. Her pensiveness never escaped him and he always seemed to know exactly what was on her mind.
Smiling, he slid a hand down to the small of her back, placed his lips on her forehead and said, "So, this sure beats popcorn, pizza or peanut butter, right?"
Clarke couldn't agree more.
A/N: Sorry for the lame arse ending. I got stuck writing this fic. I really wanted to include more of the delinquents, but I'm afraid I suck at ensemble scenes. I struggle to channel all those characters at once. Hope you like the Monty/Octavia pairing, I've always toyed with the idea of those two together in my head, but it's mostly inspired by their scenes at the dropship in 3x11, Nevermore. I had the idea before Harper and he were canon and I wanted to stick with it, so... yeah.
Thank-you all for reading, following, faving, commenting etc - it makes my day!