Chapter Text
“Lexa!” A voice hisses in Lexa’s ear while a finger jabs her shoulder, rousing her from deep sleep. It takes a moment for her to realize who is beside her.
"Lexa?” Clarke pokes her again, insistently.
"What, Clarke?!" Lexa mumbles into her pillow.
"Why do you think the stars are so bright?" Clarke asks.
"What on earth, Clarke? Why could you possibly need to know this at such an hour?" Lexa opens her eyes slowly. In the dim candlelight she can see Clarke pursing her lips in contemplation.
Clarke turns to her. "I mean, on the ark we learned that the stars that burn brightest are dying."
"Okay..." Lexa covers her eyes with her hands, annoyed by the light.
"Do you think that means that the stars that shine brightest in our lives are doomed to die?"
Lexa does not understand. "People are not stars, Clarke."
Clarke sits up, jostling Lexa. "No, it's a figure of speech. It’s just…I don't want you to die."
Lexa doesn't understand the terminology these people use. Strange sayings like "cool!" even when it is boiling hot outside, and referring to loved ones as babies. She sighs. "I'm not a star, I'm not in the sky. I'm here on earth, and I'm not going to die."
"Hey! You made a rhyme!" Clarke slaps her arm excitedly.
"Again, Clarke. What?"
Clarke simply smiles, not explaining herself. "Do you think poets can be reincarnated?"
Lexa shrugs lazily. "I don’t know what that is…”
"Someone who writes little verses very well,” Clarke replies.
“Clarke, I can’t write,” Lexa reminds her.
“Right! I will have to teach you one day.” Clarke hums for a second. "So what do your people think?"
"Huh?"
"About stars?" Clarke goes back to her previous question.
"They are the souls of the ancestors. They aren't dying, they are already long dead. Now, Clarke, if you do not mind, I am going back to sleep," Lexa huffs. She rolls on to her other side, away from the irritating light.
Clarke seems satisfied with this answer. Lexa sighs in relief, enjoying the silence as her eyes begin to flutter shut once more.
Her peace does not last long.
"Psst. Lexa?” Clarke elbows her in the ribs. “What do you think the moon is made of?"
"Why are you asking me? You're the one who fell from the sky!"
"Apparently our ancestors claimed that it was made of cheese."
"That is stupid.”
"If it were, I think I would like to live on it. I love cheese. You know, we did not have cheese on the ark,” Clarke informs her.
"How unfortunate..." Lexa claps a hand over her ear, hoping to block out any further noise.
It does no good.
"Do you think aliens get lonely?" Clarke asks.
By this point Lexa is ready to punch Clarke out so there will be silence until morning. "I do not know what an alien is."
"They live in space," Clarke explains.
"Are you lonely?" Lexa asks.
"Huh?"
"You are from space. So you are an alien. I do not know if aliens get lonely - you, as an alien, should know better than me. Think on it and tell me in the morning." Lexa hopes such an answer will make Clarke stop asking so many strange questions.
To her dismay, it does not. "Do your people wish on shooting stars?"
"Clarke, pleni!" Lexa takes her pillow and whacks Clarke in the face as hard as she can.
Clarke makes a shocked noise. "Did you actually just hit me with a pillow?" She scoffs.
"Yes, I did. Is that not obvious?" Lexa rolls back over to face her.
Clarke smirks. "Do you know what a pillow fight is?"
"Ugggh!" Lexa sits up. "Enough! How many languages do I have to say it in?"
The response she gets is Clarke's own pillow hitting her face.
Lexa hits her back once more, aiming for her stomach.
Clarke's retaliates. This time her pillow hits Lexa’s butt.
"Alright, that's it!" Lexa wrestles Clarke's pillow away from her and starts mercilessly whacking her with it.
"Ow! Ow!" Clarke protests.
"You started it!"
"You’re the one who hit me with the thing in the first place!" Clarke hits back, using all the pillows she can grab to assist in her counterattack. She was surprised at first to discover that the commander slept with so many pillows. She is now finding it useful.
"Well I wouldn't have been forced to if you hadn't started asking about the origins of the universe at this hour!" Lexa retorts, not letting up on the assault.
"Ah! Ow!" Clarke screeches as the pillow hits her face again.
"Seriously it's a bag of feathers!" Lexa rolls her eyes and slaps Clarke’s arm. Then hits her with the pillow again. This time, it bursts open.
Clarke and Lexa scream in unison as the feathers explode everywhere.
“Shit!” Clarke hisses.
“I’m going to kill…” Lexa freezes when she hears the tent flaps opening and watches in horror as Indra comes into the light. "Commander? Is everything…" Indra begins, then pauses as she sees the two of them covered in feathers. Her eyes widen. Lexa silently curses Clarke for this embarassment.
"We're fine!" Lexa snaps, dropping her pillow. She is mortified.
Indra doesn't ask any more questions, but the confusion is written all over her face. She nods curtly before making her exit.
Lexa slaps Clarke's arm. "I have never been more mortified in my life. How am I supposed to explain this one?"
"I'm sure Indra will just ask Octavia. Though, knowing Octavia, she might add in a few details that are not entirely accurate." Clarke laughs and hits Lexa once more.
Lexa grabs Clarke's wrists wrestles her until they are pinned down. "Daun ste pleni! We have councils tommorrow."
"Gee commander,” Clarke grins at Lexa, who is now straddling her. You only had to ask.”
“Shut up or I will shut you up!” Lexa threatens.
“Mmm, sounds tempting. Then we would just be verifying what Octavia's will probably say."
“I did not mean like that!” Lexa groans and rolls off of her, kicking Clarke's shin in the process. She takes an intact pillow and shoves it under her head.
“Hey, Lexa?”
Lexa inhales sharply, her eyes shooting open once more. She glares at Clarke. “What now?”
Clarke wiggles closer to her. “Do you mind if I do this?”
Lexa grabs Clarke’s arm and locks it around her, preventing her from moving. She rests her chin on the blonde’s shoulder, finally comfortable.
“Oh, so you do like when I do this!” Clarke laughs.
Lexa holds her tighter. "Shof op, sky girl."