Chapter Text
You maintain that it’s not really graffiti. It’s more graffiti adjacent. You had technically painted on a wall that wasn’t your property, but it was a very shitty, downtrodden wall and it wasn’t like you’d painted a dick or something. You’re actually really proud of how it turned out. You’re not so proud of getting caught – that was something you probably should have avoided (you were going to get so much shit from your parents). Your friends had also completely ditched you the moment the cops came, well, you say ditched, you all ran but they ran faster, which makes little to no sense since Octavia had lifted an injured Raven into her arms at the sound of the siren and still managed to beat all of you in escaping.
That’s the reason you’re currently sitting in the back of a police car, on what your parents would call a school night, explaining yourself to a Detective Woods - who looks completely miffed that this is what he trained for, but oddly like a cuddly bear when he smiles at each of your retorts. There was also something undeniably familiar in his demeanour that you just couldn’t quite place. Sitting in said police car was also the reason your newly affirmed girlfriend was going to kill you, since you were undoubtedly grounded after this whole debacle, and wouldn’t be able to go to dinner to meet her parents on Thursday.
Basically, you were screwed.
“Could we just pretend I wasn’t doing that thing that I was supposedly doing and you drop me off where you found me? You don’t even have to stop; I’ll just drop and roll.” To his credit he laughs at your idiocy instead of sighing and moaning about you being a delinquent. You like to think it’s because he appreciated your artistic talent, though you have a feeling it probably has something to do with him being a dad himself, if the photo of a little girl on his dashboard is anything to go by, and not wanting to be unnecessarily dickish to kids (unlike that Lieutenant Jaha jackass that comes into school to do talks on drugs).
“It was vandalism.” You scoff.
“You wound me, Detective. I destroyed nothing, I created new life.” He laughs again and you chuckle along after a moment’s deliberation because you may as well resign yourself to this fate. On the Brightside, all you had to do was bring Lexa to the wall and she’d soften in an instant once she realised it was her face you’d immortalised with swirling vines climbing her neck and awe in her eyes as she stared at the stars. She’d probably hit you first and tell you to stick to sketchbooks next time, but you know she’d kiss you afterwards in a silent admission that she thought it was beautiful and that would be enough. You just needed to make it past the angry silence and avoidance that was bound to start it all off.
“It was really quite magnificent.” He concedes.
“Then you’ll let me go?” You ask hopefully but catch his eye roll in the mirror.
“No.”
“What if I explained it to you?”
“The painting or your reason for doing it?” He asks and thinking about it for a second you realise something.
“Both, it’s the same thing really.” He deliberates for a second but then he’s nodding obviously enough for you to see. “Love.” You state cryptically and the way he shifts in his seat tells you that you’ve definitely piqued his interest.
“Love?” He prompts when you don’t continue immediately.
“Painting girl, let’s call her Heda, isn’t such a fan of talking about emotions. It actually took me three months to get her to realise I was hitting on her.” He laughs. “I know right. Anyway, ever since then I figured I should just show her, rather than trying and failing to tell her. It sounds cheesy and if I actually said it out loud I know she’d laugh at me, but she always gets this smile when I do it so I keep going, hence the insanely large and time consuming painting.”
“Maybe you kept going a little too far.” He jokes and you once again remind yourself that this whole thing could be worse. Although you’re also acutely aware that you’re closing in on the station and you’re not all that ready to face the reality of the situation.
“Oops.” You jest and he laughs whole heartedly. It’s a laugh you’ve heard before, slipping from Lexa’s lips when she finally cracks under the weight of your incessant jokes – the kind of freeing laugh that comes from holding it in too long and having no choice but to let it abruptly break free, which brings you back to the whole ‘you’re in deep crap’ thing, especially as you pull up to the station. “Not a good enough excuse to get me off the hook then?”
“You’re off my hook but I am going to have to call your parents to pick you up.”
“Seriously?” He nods simply as he exits the car and helps you out just after. “I would hug you but I think I’ve probably pushed my luck a little too much already.”
“You have no idea.” He mutters and you’re completely confused until you reach, what you assume is, his desk and hear a voice.
“Hey, dad.” You know that voice. You know that voice. You step out from behind Detective Woods’ back and immediately face palm. Woods. His last name was legitimately Woods, they looked scarily alike and you’d spent an inordinate amount of time comparing him to your girlfriend and yet it didn’t click with you. You’re an idiot. “Clarke?”
“Hey, Lex. You look nice, going somewhere?” Just act casual.
“Dinner... with my dad.” She looks suspiciously between the two of you as he holds back a laugh and you repress a groan at the sheer awkwardness of this situation. You had confessed your love to her dad before you had even done it to her. You called her Heda and Lord knows you saved that for more intimate situations. If the ground could just open up and swallow you, you would really appreciate it. “Clarke, what are you doing here?”
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” She blushes. You almost naively think you could get away with it.
“Clarke, why are you in the police station with my dad?”
“You know, Lex, the way you say my name is really-“The detective cuts in.
“She was vandalising public property.” Throwing you under the bus. Real nice.
“I thought we discussed this.” You state. He rolls his eyes but smiles nonetheless.
“Oh, of course. What I meant to say was she painted a giant mural of your face on the side of a derelict building.” You grin sheepishly because you can’t exactly protest that one. It was pretty giant. It had also taken you ages because no one else seemed to have a lick of artistic talent, and were instead just throwing paint at each other, as you tried to recreate a masterpiece. The soft gaze that lands on you, in spite of the eye roll she begins it with, makes you want to high five her dad.
“I can take her home and then be right back for dinner?” He acquiesces and you allow yourself a content smile as she catches your hand with another eye roll. How on earth did you not link the two of them? “Come on, criminal.” She says affectionately as she begins to lead you to the parking lot.
“Don’t break any more laws before dinner on Thursday, Clarke.” You wince as you remember. Dinner. That was going to be swell.
“Roger that, Mr Detective Woods.” You salute and laugh when he actually returns it.
“Gustus is fine.”
“OK, Gustus.” You don’t see his smile as Lexa tugs on your hand and all but drags you to her car. To say you’re surprised when she pushes you against it and kisses you would be no word of a lie. Not that you’re complaining. Her hands slip under your shirt. Definitely not complaining. Especially when she does that thing with her tongue and whimpers when you spin your positions.
“We should probably go before my dad realises I’m not taking you home.” She doesn’t stop kissing you.
“He’s doesn’t know how far away I live.” You don’t stop kissing her.
“That’s true.” She pulls back with a soft brush of her nose against yours but lingers in your space. “You painted me a mural.” She states and you haven’t opened your eyes but you can feel the smile on her lips as it scrapes along the skin of your jaw. “I love you too.” Your heart halts. It resumes with a skipping beat that you’ve come to associate with her.
“Good because I was so close to getting arrested for that.” You decide it was definitely worth it when she kisses you until you can’t breathe.
Although you will admit it’s slightly less worth it that Thursday when her dad asks, with a knowing smile, just how far away you live.