Chapter Text
Clarke rapped her knuckles hesitantly on the wood frame of Lexa's tent.
“Who is it?” Lexa demanded, annoyed at being disturbed.
“It's Clarke.” Lexa heard the familiar voice announcing herself. Lexa quickly stood from her throne, adjusting her clothing.
“You may enter,” Lexa spoke stoically, trying desperately to appear nonchalant about the other girl's presence.
Clarke stepped through the doorway and into the Commander's quarters.
“Clarke,” Lexa acknowledged, standing tall and proud.
“Commander,” Clarke greeted. They stood staring one another down. The last words they exchanged with one another had been far from pleasant, said in anger and haste. The two leaders were still on shaky terms after Lexa's betrayal. Logically Clarke knew what Lexa did had been right for her people, it wasn't personal, it was just war. She knew she would have made the same decision, she did make the same decision when she pulled the leaver. But Lexa's betrayal stung none the less.
She was trying to put it aside, to move on, now that the sky people were to become the 13th clan in the alliance. Lexa was going to become a permanent fixture in her life especially considering Clarke was to be the official leader and representative for the skikru.
At first she had refused, she did not like what being a leader meant, she didn't want to be the one to make the hard choices again, she didn’t want to be responsible any more. However it had soon been made clear that the council and members of the alliance would not accept anyone else as the leader of the skikru. So Clarke was to be the Commander of the skikru but her mother would still be chancellor, something that the trikru and other clans did not acknowledge.
“Why am I lucky enough to be graced with the Ski Heda's presence?” Lexa asked cockily, only speaking in such a way in hopes of hiding how she actually felt around Clarke, to hide the waiver in her voice and the way her cheeks warmed whenever she saw the blonde
“Forget about it,” Clarke rolled her eyes and turned to leave Lexa's tent, not in the mood for the Commander's childish behavior.
“Wait! Clarke, I'm sorry!” Lexa moved quickly and gracefully, stopping the blonde from leaving with a firm hand on her arm.
Clarke's icy blue eyes flicked from Lexa's, to the hand on her arm. Lexa let go quickly when she realized she had a tight grip on Clarke.
“Sorry for my behavior Clarke, I should not have grabbed you, what is it that you require?” Lexa took a step back from Clarke.
Clarke was surprised by the regret on Lexa's face and the way she backed away, dipping her head in apology, behavior she hadn't seen from Lexa before.
“Octavia told me that it is required that I have my hair braided and wear warpaint for the ceremony, she said it would be best if I arrived in Polis already looking the part,” Clarke explained, unconsciously playing with the ends of her hair.
Lexa stood up straighter again upon hearing Clarke's words, surprised that she would be coming to her about the matter. Surely she could have asked someone else? There were many men and women well adept at braiding.
“Yes Octavia is correct,” Lexa readjusted her footing, clasping her hands behind her back, trying not to get her hopes up, Clarke could simple be checking that she was correctly informed.
“Okay, good, thanks.” Clarke nodded and began to leave again but she stopped and turned to face Lexa again.
“You see I don't exactly know how...” She didn't know why she had come to Lexa with this problem, Octavia would have helped her but here she was standing in Lexa's tent stammering over the question. “... to braid, only just a regular braid really and I need a mirror to do that.”
“I could have someone come and help you,” Lexa offered not wanting to appear as if she was presuming that Clarke wanted her help.
Clarke saw her window of opportunity to stop the craziness but in all honesty the only person she wanted touching her in such a way, was Lexa.
“I was sort of hoping you would help me?” Clarke asked avoiding making eye contact, instead staring at Lexa's strong jaw.
Lexa couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth at Clarke's shy request. She quickly bit her lip to stop the smile, not wanting Clarke to change her mind.
“Of course Clarke if that is what you wish.”
“It is,” Clarke confirmed with more conviction.
“Okay take a seat over there, I'll just grab a few things.” Lexa gestured to a chair behind a thin curtain that sat in front of a basin and cloudy mirror.
Clarke sat down as Lexa instructed, pulling her hair from its pony tail while she waited, wondering if she had completely lost her mind.
A few moments later Lexa returned, consciously slowing her steps not wanting to appear too eager. She carried a second chair with her, placing it behind Clarke and sitting down. She wiped her sweaty palms on the material of her pants, hoping Clarke wouldn't notice.
“I'm just going to comb your hair out first so it's easier to work with.”
Clarke just nodded.
Lexa fumbled with the comb for a moment before she began gently gliding it through Clarke's hair, followed by the fingers of her other hand to flatten the hair.
Clare's breath caught in her throat, surprised by how gentle Lexa's hands were running through her hair.
“Did I hurt you?” Lexa paused, worrying.
“No you didn't I'm fine,” Clarke managed to say.
“Good, okay, good” Lexa resumed her actions.
“Sorry it's kinda dirty,” Clarke apologized knowing it had been a while since she last washed her hair.
“That's okay, it's actually easier to work with.”
“Oh okay, good.”
Lexa continued to glide the comb and her fingers through Clarke's blonde hair, it had grown much longer in the time since the mountain had fallen and now there were streaks of pink scattered through out her it, something Lexa assumed Clarke had done in her time with the boat people. They were known for coloring their hair wild colors.
“Okay your hair is now free of knots. Do you know what you would like?” Lexa questioned as she stood.
“Um no, not really, I like how you and Octavia have your hair, just do what you think would look good,” Clarke answered, she hadn't actually thought about how she would want her hair to look.
“As you wish.” Lexa gathered several small leather ties that she would use to bind Clarke's braids, putting them in the pocket of her coat so they were easily accessible. After a moment of thought as to what she should do, she began separating Clarke's hair into sections.
She began braiding the first section on the top of Clarke's head, she silently cursed herself as her nervous fingers let the hair slip through meaning she had to start over more than one.
“Everything okay?” Clarke asked hearing Lexa huff in frustration,
“Ah, yeah sorry it's just been a while since I did this braid, it can be difficult” Lexa lied, under regular circumstances she would be able to braid with her eyes closed, but Clarke made her nervous and stopped her fingers from cooperating.
The third time she started the braid she grit her teeth in determination, all but glaring at her useless fingers, she was the Commander of the 12, now 13 clans she would not be beaten buy a pretty girls hair, even if it was really soft...
Lexa eventually finished the first section of Clarke's hair tying of the end of the braid, she was sure people from the old world had called it a fishtail braid. She sat back down on the chair behind Clarke to weave some more smaller braids intricately through Clarke's hair, her fingers now moving much faster than before.
As she worked lower she would occasionally brush gently over the back of Clarke's neck, the first time it happened she noticed Clarke shiver but just thought it was because Clarke was startled by the contact, but the second time it happened Clarke unmistakably shivered again. After that, Lexa began to do it on purpose, letting her knuckles lightly graze the back of Clarke’s neck or the top of her shoulder, just to feel Clarke shiver and see goosebumps erupt over her skin.
Clarke was biting her lip trying not to react every time Lexa lightly touched her, but her body had a mind of it's own. By the fifth time she felt Lexa's light touch she suspected it was no longer accidental, she felt flushed and her skin felt like it was on fire.
“I am nearly done with your hair Clarke,” Lexa spoke, knowing she couldn't drag it out for much longer.
“Okay,” Clarke squeaked, trying not to sound to disappointed.
Lexa leaned closer as she secured the last braid with a tie, she exhaled deeply, Clarke felt Lexa's warm breath tickle the back of her neck. She knew Lexa's lips must only be a few inches from her skin
“Lexa,” Clarke said breathlessly but didn't move away from Lexa.
Lexa new she was playing with fire.
Without any warning she tenderly pressed her lips to Clarke's neck, once, twice. She moved higher, kissing softly as she went, Clarke lolled her head to the side. Trying in vain to stop moan escaping as she felt Lexa suck gently on her pulse. It was o wrong, but it felt so good.
Clarke leaned into Lexa, wanting more.
Lexa sucked once more before grazing her teeth over the same spot and then pulling away. Clarke had been leaning against her so much that she nearly fell backwards off of the chair with a little yelp.
“I think we should do your warpaint now.” Lexa said with a smirk.