"Tangled!" Lex shouts, running into the living room holding the DVD above her head with both hands. Her smile is wide on her face with her hair flailing behind her. You find that you're worried she may trip over the several boxes that are piled around the house, but she carefully sidesteps them as she slides to her knees in front of the television. Luke chuckles as he gets up to prepare popcorn for the three of you to share while sitting through yet another Disney movie. Following your boyfriend into the kitchen you hop onto the counter, swinging your legs as you watch him moving fluidly around the kitchen. He checks over his shoulder while the bag is in the microwave, making sure that Lex is occupied before spreading your legs and settling himself between them, and capturing your lips with his.
"Mom thinks I should get a lawyer," he tells you when he pulls back, his lips trailing down your jaw and suckling at the skin on the left side of your neck. A shiver slides down your spine, causing you to giggle and press yourself closer to him.
"What do you think?" You reach up to run your fingers through his hair as he places kisses along your collarbone, a moan slipping from between your lips causing his hand to come up and cover your mouth. Biting your lip in order to control the volume of the moan, wanting to continue your make-out session, you let out a groan when the microwave beeps, alerting the both of you that you are out of time.
"I think that I want to tell Lex it's past her bedtime so that I can get you alone," Luke mutters darkly as he leans his forehead against yours, his eyes sliding closed as the microwave beeps again, an annoying reminder that you had to be parents first, and lovers later.
"Penny, are you coming?" Lex shouts from the living room and peeking around the corner you can see her settled on the middle cushion of the couch, leaving enough space for both you and Luke on either side of her. Shouting back that you are on your way. Laughing at Luke's expression as you slide off of the counter, stumbling a bit as your legs are still weak from the kisses he had peppered your body with. Rushing into the living room you slide onto the left side of Lex, letting the child curl into your side as she places her feet in Luke's lap. You watch her as she is enthralled by the movie, one that she has seen at least one hundred times in the short month that she had owned it. Luke's hand slides around your shoulders, letting his fingers trail across the left side of your neck, tracing the same pattern he kissed just a few minutes earlier. You're hyper-focused on the movie, watching it intently until the credits roll, your body standing on alert from the motion of Luke's hand teasing you for over an hour.
"Alright kid, one bedtime story and then it's lights out," Luke tells her, pushing her off the couch as you collect the cups and the empty bowl of popcorn, and proceed to wash the leftover dishes from dinner. Smiling as you listen to the laughter filtering out of Lex's bedroom, Luke's deep voice taking on different personas as he regales his daughter with a story. By the time you're done with the dishes, he's walking out of her bedroom and closing the door behind him.
"She asleep?" He nods, watching you walk over and double check the lock on the front and back doors as he checks the windows. "I think hiring a lawyer is a good idea, we still have no idea what Robin wants, and I refuse to be blindsided. It's better to be prepared." Sighing heavily he walks up behind you, his hands sliding around your waist and his lips connecting with the left side of your neck with a hungry growl. You let your hands travel up to slide through his hair, pulling his face closer to your neck with a drawn out moan. He walks you forward, pressing your breasts to the wall outside of the bedroom, his hand sliding down your yoga pants.
"I need you," he whispers into your neck, his teeth biting at your skin, as you push yourself back against him.
"I can see that," you tease the man, sliding out of his grasp and walking to the bedroom, curling your finger repeatedly before you slide your t-shirt over your shoulders and disappear behind the door.
He's wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer to him under the cool sheets, and pressing a kiss to your forehead. His fingers are trailing up and down your left arm, eventually, he laces his fingers through yours, his palm resting on the back of your hand and places a kiss on the back of your next.
"You're her mother," Luke whispers into your ear. "I don't care what Robin has to say about it, you've been here the past two years when she walked out. In my eyes, you are Lex's mother." Silently you let a tear roll down your cheek, wondering when your life had taken this turn, but knowing in your heart that the little girl sleeping down the hall was, in fact, your child, knowing that you would do everything and anything to protect her from the terrible things in the world. You wait, listening to his soft snores before you slip out of bed, sliding his discarded shirt over your shoulders and your pants onto your bottom half, you walk back out into the kitchen. You prepare yourself a cup of hot chocolate before settling yourself into the cushions of the couch, pulling the throw blanket over your bottom half with a soft smile. Clutching the mug between both hands you look around the room, taking in your decorations that have since mixed with Luke and Lex's, creating an eclectic yet blended aesthetic. So lost in your thoughts, you jump when you hear a small voice next to you.
"Penny, can I sit with you?" Lex says, climbing up onto the couch and cuddling under the blanket into your side. "I had a bad dream."
"Want to talk about it?" You ask her, reaching up to brush her bangs off of her face and pressing your lips to the top of her head with a content sigh. She shakes her head, yawning and blinking up at you.
"No, it's not important," Lex responds wrapping her arms around your waist with a soft sigh. "I love you, Penny, and I'm so glad that you're here."
"I love you too, Lex," you tell the small child, watching as her eyes close softly. You bring the mug of hot chocolate to your lips and take a sip, smiling down at her head before looking out of the living room window, thanking whoever was listening for the small miracle that had fallen asleep in your arms. A soft paw taps at your leg and you lean down to scoop the small pup into your arms, settling her on your lap with a sigh. "I love you too, my sweet girl."