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The light reflected off the snow in the streets of Polis this winter day. Visible puffs came from the Heda and Wanheda’s mouths as they breathed out. The snow crunched under their boots. It was a rare sight to behold indeed.
They stole glances at each other, shy smiles as if they were lovestruck high schoolers, as they walked at a slow and unhurried pace, simply enjoying their rare time off. It was too often that their days were filled with politics and power play.
Their steps were in sync. Clarke was taking in the street around them when she felt Lexa’s hand brush against hers. She turned to look at Lexa, but realized that the girl was looking away to hide the blush creeping up her neck and face. Clarke tried not to smile too widely and grabbed Lexa’s hand, weaving their fingers together as they continued down the street. The commander’s hand is warm and callused, long fingers gracefully wrapped around Clarke’s.
The comfortable silence didn’t last. Music disturbs the peaceful quiet. It is a joyous, merry tune that gets louder with each step. Eventually they walk into a plaza. It wasn’t large and there were only a few stalls around the edges. A big Christmas tree stood in the center and a rowdy crowd was clapping and dancing to the music that a small band of musicians played. They circled around the tree, laughing and whooping in joy.
The musicians finished a song and a little boy piped up with a, “Mou, noni! Mou!” (Translation: “More, Dad! More!”), and the ragtag band started up again with another song.
She glanced over at Lexa. Lexa sported a small smile that was a stark contrast to the usual stoic facade of the commander. The world often worked the commander too hard. So much so, that it was questionable whether or not Lexa even knew how to have fun.
The last few weeks had been particularly hard on Lexa, with conflicts between Ingranronakru (the plain riders) and Ouskejon kru (blue cliff people) becoming heated. Both parties were gathering armies and dissatisfied with the compromises that Lexa had proposed in the past month.
The bags under Lexa’s eyes were highly visible without her warpaint. Despite that, she was still poised and her back straight in her typical Heda attire.
This was the perfect opportunity to make Lexa loosen up. There was nothing that a little dancing during Christmas couldn’t solve. Clarke tugged Lexa towards the dancers with a hopeful smile. “C’mon let’s dance.”
Lexa teetered half a step forward, not quite resisting, but not quite giving in. “But you don’t know this dance, Clarke. Unless this is a dance you and your friends neglected to show me?”
Clarke shook her head. Relaxing had been the entire point of going for a walk in the first place. She would be damned if she let Lexa win this one. She was going to get Lexa to join in and relax her overthinking self even if they had to stand there until dawn. “No, but you probably know it so you can teach me.”
Lexa seemed to blanch at the idea. Clarke could see Lexa’s brow furrow and her lips twisting into a frown as the gears turned in her brain. Probably going through the possible dangers, downsides, and consequences at lightning speed. She was trying to decide on the most practical route once again. Clarke loved Lexa’s sharp and cunning brain, but sometimes, just sometimes, it would’ve been nice if she
No way was she letting Lexa do that whole thing in her mind. Clarke stepped into Lexa’s space. Lexa’s eyes widened and she inhaled just a little sharper than normal. “C’mon, Lexa. Stop being so uptight.”
“I’m not uptight! It was just... it might not be such a good idea!” Lexa argued in defense of her pride. Then she frowned as if she already realized that it was a poor argument.
Clarke raised an eyebrow. “Really? Give me one example.”
Lexa opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish. It was endearing to Clarke how stubborn she was. Perhaps it was even one of the things that had made her fall for Lexa in the first place. Clarke smirked as Lexa glared at her, knowing full well that danger would not suffice as a reason, because Lexa could easily fight off any type of danger presented. Plus, there were guards that were trailing them out of sight.
Clarke tugged on Lexa’s hand once again and this time, Lexa grudgingly followed. She dragged her feet. She may be the commander of thirteen clans, but she still possessed an inner child.
The people started getting rowdier as they noticed Heda and Wanheda, and cheered for them. Although Lexa visibly straightened and schooled her expression from a pout, she didn’t scowl like she did in front of ambassadors. She pulled Clarke close to her and led her through the moves. It was only a few steps done repetitively that propelled the dancers in a circle around the tree throughout the song.
First Lexa and Clarke swung in a circle around each other, elbows hooked together. Then they came back together to spin in a more traditional pose with one hand on the hip and the other hand clasped together.
Slowly, Clarke watched the weight come off of Lexa’s shoulders and her body relax. Their feet fell into rhythm and step. Clarke stopped stumbling through the moves and stepping all over Lexa’s toes. Heck, she even managed to start moving in time with Lexa and music. The mood of the people around them certainly helped. Lexa’s smile turned into a brilliant grin that glared as brightly as the sun.
A wave of calmness permeated the air around them.
In a sudden change in pattern, all the dancers pulled away from their partners. Clarke froze as she watched Lexa twist, jump and kick in the air. Her hair whipped in the air behind her, sash billowing in the wind. Lexa’s cheeks were flushed pink from dancing. Lexa let out a laugh of exhilaration and Clarke’s heart pounded in her chest.
She landed at the same time as everyone else and pulled Clarke back in. They fell back into the rhythm of the previous dance moves as Lexa grinned at Clarke.
“Damn, where’d you learn to do that, Commander?” Clarke murmured as she held her lover’s gaze.
Lexa bit her lip shyly, something that would never fail to send butterflies into a frenzy in Clarke’s stomach. Her heart would never get over the love she felt for this woman, she was sure of it. “We all learned this dance as kids.” She offered no more than that. Clarke understood she didn’t like talking about her childhood because of the conclave.
In the last move as the dance ended, Lexa lifted her arm and whispered in Clarke’s ear, “Now twirl.”
The world whizzed by as Lexa spun her out and then back in. In a graceful move that Clarke was pretty sure only Lexa could pull off, Lexa stepped forward as she spun Clarke back into her so that she landed squarely into Lexa’s arms. Lexa chuckled as she rested her chin on Clarke’s shoulder.
They were in a world of their own. In those few seconds nothing could disturb their world, not war, not apocalypses, not radiation, not even annoying as hell ambassadors. Lexa murmured, “Thank you, Clarke.”