Work Text:
When she had made her way down to Clarke’s room in Polis in the middle of the night, dressed in nothing more than her sleeping dress, Lexa hadn’t imagined the night would go like this. In all the time she had known Clarke Griffin kom Skaikru the feared Wanheda, she doesn’t think she had ever had the honor of seeing her smile.
Not a tentative, timid quirking of the lips. No. This was real. A genuine expression of happiness. She had teased her, “Do you ever talk about anything other than your death?”
And of course you couldn’t have helped but smile back. In this moment you have never been so vulnerable. Completely laid bare, as much as you could in the presence of the girl you had absolutely fallen for. So you forgot in that moment her anger and her pain. The words that had ripped through your chest just a few days prior.
‘I’ll kill you!’
You forgot the press of cold steel so close to slitting your throat and you decided instead to just...be. There, with her. You watch as she cuts off extra bandage for your injury.
“Thank you for backing me.”
“I was just doing what was right for my people.”
You realize then she’s still hurt, that despite the openness and intimacy of this moment, she still has her walls up, her mask of hurt though not fully covering her any longer, is hanging on by a thick thread. Looking down and away, blinking back the emotions flowing through you, you become composed, sensing her...curiosity.
Clarke only speaks when your eyes meet hers again, “Your ambassadors betrayed you...How do you move forward?”
The earlier worry she had sensed after her solo gonplei was announced seemed to return to haunted blue irises. You can only ever answer her with honesty. Voice almost cracking with the other meaning to your words. How could they move forward?
“They were doing what they believed was right for their people too.”
With your gazes locked it isn’t hard to recognize the moment Clarke sees the parallels you have insinuated at with your words, and just like that her mask is more firmly placed.
She makes to stand and despite realizing your time is at an end you can’t help but admire the way her garments, that you had made especially for her, gracefully compliment her figure. She had meant what she said those months ago when she confessed Clarke’s heart showed no sign of weakness and the brunette had to fight herself from seeing exact how not weak Clarke’s ‘heart’ truly was from her current angle right in front of her.
“Reshop Heda.”
Standing as well you meet her gaze seeing perhaps the mask is not on as firmly as you had feared. You can feel your stance melting the longer you stay and take a breath.
“Goodnight Ambassador.”
You aren’t entirely sure what emotions passed through your eyes at the time but something had to have happened if the pink on Clarke’s cheeks was anything to go by. You limped carefully to her sturdy door,
“Let me get that for you.”
She opened it, widely refusing to meet your eyes and gave another small smile
“Thank you Clarke.”
--
The next day her behavior did not seem to have improved if the pointed way she kept staring at a point over your shoulder, rather than at you, was anything to go by.
What could you have possibly done between the fight yesterday and this morning to make her react this way?
After a meeting where the clan ambassadors either re-pledged their allegiance or were replaced, once again only the brunette and blonde were left in the room. Well...Titus was there too but he was acting a bit extra protective since she was still healing from the fight with Roan.
Agreeing to join her for lunch so they could further discuss what the Skaikru joining the Coalition meant, Clarke once again held the door open for her and Lexa once again thanked her.
“Thank you , Clarke.”
“Eh ehem no, yeah. I mean I did it for my people...so…”
Lexa cocked her head in confusion.
“...for your people Clarke?”
“Yes.” The blonde said finally meeting her face on, “I did it for my people so there’s no need to thank me....Are we going to get lunch or what?” She asked storming down the hallway.
She turned to Titus who seemed equally baffled looking between Clarke and Lexa like he was missing something. He simply shook his head and sighed exasperatedly, “Sky people, or what indeed.” before retreating to his quarters.
The rest of the week continued the same, every time Lexa even attempted to show some form of gratitude.
When Clarke had to wait for her to finish talking with Luna’s ambassador
“Thank you for waiting Clar-”
“I did it for my people…”
When Clarke had helped to patch up one of her young night blood warriors after a nasty fall down a cliff.
“Mochof-”
“It was done-"
"For your people?"
"Yup."
When they had attended a bar and a woman had inevitably begun to try and woo Heda with her charm.
“Ehem.”
Lexa raised a brow at her, and relinquished her hold on her cup to give the blonde her full attention. “Clarke.”
“Commander.” She didn’t even spare the awestruck girl beside Lexa a glance
“We have some important, things, to discuss.”
“Things?” Lexa teased lightly, taking a small sip from her cup, her gaze never leaving Clarke’s stare. She saw the way her eyes followed the gulp of liquid down her throat and eyes her lips as she licked them.
“Yes uhh things.” She trailed off looking quite distracted before glancing up at Heda’s amused countenance. But she could do nothing but lightly blush. Lexa decided to take pity and follow her all the way back to Clarke’s room.
Clarke remained flustered from earlier and simply made her way over to the open window, inhaling the crisp night air. The Commander only watched, admiring her beauty from across the room before deciding it was enough. The amber ale that filed her stomach helping greatly in building her confidence.
She quietly sauntered over to where Clarke had her back to her and stood as close as she dared. She heard the blonde’s breath hitch and felt her body tense in front of her as she casually reached one arm from behind her to grip the rail Clarke was leaning against.
The brunette breathed against her neck, reveling in the shudder that traveled down the great Wanheda’s spine.
“So we have to discuss things?”
Clarke gulped, “Yes.”
“Oh? So this had nothing to do with the girl attempting to gain my fancy then…”
She could practically feel the scoff travel out Clarke’s mouth, “I, you...you seemed to want to leave and I-we have things to discuss so I simply helped you in leaving.”
“I see. So, these things we have to discuss...I assume they are for your people?”
“My….people?” Lexa took the grip Clarke currently had on her bottom lip as a good sign and nudged her nose along the contours of Clarke’s jaw.
“Sha, it seems everything you’ve done lately has been for the good of your people.”
A small whimper escaped a pale throat as Lexa lightly grazed Clarke’s frantic pulse with her teeth.
“Mmmmm.” The other leader moaned from in front of her as she pressed more fully into Clarke’s back and sucked her mark into the offered neck.
Regaining her senses after a particularly cold gust of wind swept by them Lexa took a step back and could only smirk at the blonde’s whine of disapproval.
She shook her head smiling softly at her, “We must rest Clarke.”
“Rest?” The blonde leader asked seemingly coming out of a daze.
“Yes. We would be no good to our people exhausted. And I believe you have been working very hard for the good of your people. We shouldn't spoil that now.”
“Wha- but- ehem. The nights are getting cold Commander. And like you said we need to be well-rested.”
“Yes...we should be.”
Lexa cocked a brow seeing Clarke regain her composure and the mischievous grin on her plump lips as she took measured steps towards Lexa. Lexa in kind took a step back until she could distinctly feel the bed behind her knees.
Clarke lazily brought her finger to trail small patterns into the warrior’s arm
“It would be much more efficient if we simply...shared body heat. You know so we’ll be rested...for our people.”
“Of course Klark.”
--
Of course the next day was when everything basically went to skrish.
--
“Hakeldama my fucking ass.”
“Excuse me-”
“You are excused. Now everyone shut the fuck up and listen! I’m back and I’m taking charge.”
“Clarke Griffin-!”
The enraged blonde rounded on her old Earth skills teacher with a fire Lexa had greatly come to fear after one too many threats during that first week Clarke spent in Polis.
“Shut the fuck up Pike!”
“But-” The tip of one of Clarke’s daggers followed by the swords drawn by the grounders around her was enough to stem his protests.
“Yes ok I know you had an election and I will address the rest of the idiots that voted for you later because clearly you all can’t be trusted with democracy so the old elected council, Kane, Dr. Griffin, Sinclair and others are in charge until you learn how to use it responsibly. For the attempted murder of 300 members of the Trikru peace keeping force you and your people, Pike will be placed in the Commander’s custody.”
Clarke watched the surprised and thus far, unrepentant Farm station members be dragged away by Lexa’s sentries. Bellamy, all that remained from the group, the only one who saw what they had done as wrong and who had willingly given himself over to them and helped Clarke ambush Pike and his people. Not to say his punishment wouldn’t also be severe, just that he stood a greater chance of not dying. Thankfully Abby, Lincoln and Octavia had warned the grounders the moment Kane knew the election results and they had fled far away from the bloodthirsty Skaikru in the dead of the night.
Still fuming the blonde turned to her friends, the rest of the loyal delinquents, “Octavia.”
The younger girl bowed, though too upset she was grateful that her brother may survive this yet, “Sha Wanheda?”
Clarke raised a brow, “Unnecessary, but appreciated. I want you to keep slapping your brother across the head until his brain starts working again.”
“My pleasure.”
Bellamy blanked a bit still recalling his previous beating at the hands of his much stronger than she looked sister, “Clarke I don-”
“Did I give you permission to speak? No, so zip it. Now I don’t want to hear anymore about the sky people picking fights with my gir- I mean the Commander’s soldiers. If you guys have so much free time on your hands to fight and plan attacks then you can certainly do something more productive like forming a circle of protection around Raven and taking turns giving her a hug and reminding her how loved she is.”
Clarke turned then to her brilliant friend lying on a medical stretcher, “I mean jesus fucking christ people! Do you realize without her we all would have died who even knows how many times over? I expect her to be treated like a fucking princess when I come back.”
Taking a deep breath Clarke turned to the only one of the delinquents not happy to see her, “Jasper.”
He snarled, approaching her slowly, finger pointed in harsh accusation, “My girlfriend is dead-”
“I know, and we no longer give a fuck. You’re not the only one here to have lost someone.” She stepped up to him as he faltered at her tone, but he needed to hear this,” Get over yourself already or i will kick your whiny, drunk ass. Monty?”
“Yes Clarke?”
The boy approached her albeit hesitant what with the very prevalent anger still lingering and the tension in her body. the fact that she had yet to sheath her knife didn’t help either though Monty knew she’d never hurt him
“You’re good as you are. Stay that way. Oh and if any of you, and I mean any of you see Jaha...shoot him. On sight. I am not touching his newfound City of Light crazy with a ten foot pole and neither should you. Now if you’ll excuse me I have someone to do for my people. SOMETHINGS! I have some things to do for- for my people...
--
It was a few months of hard fought political and physical warfare but finally the Sky People had turned away from the ignorant cries of a traumatized man who had known nothing but cruelty since he and his station landed.
Just punishments were given out and the people of the ground could finally live in peace. I was quite surprised to learn that most of Clarke’s people had yet to catch on to the fact that, most of the time when we were doing things for our people we were, as Octavia put it, doing each other.
--
"It is actually good to have you back Clarke." Bellamy said, wrapping her in a hug before backing away at the press of steel against his side
"Ow, ow easy there! The fuck? Since when do they let kids be bodyguards."
"Put that away natblida, he isn't harming me. Guys this is Aden, one of the possible new Commanders should Lexa ever fall, not my bodyguard."
Miller chuckled patting Bellamy on his back as he drifted away from the young boy's familiar glare and slid beside Raven and Ryder. Raven had a suspicious look in her eyes.
“...So how long exactly have you been sleeping with the Commander of the 13 clans?”
Clarke blanked at the mechanic’s question, spitting out the gulp of orange juice she had so graciously taken from her mug and it landed...right in Bellamy’s unsuspecting face.
He in turn sputtered in shock and turned to wipe his face on the cleanest available cloth, that being Ryder’s sleeve. Octavia stepped in to intervene before her brother found himself once again faced with a possible death sentence.
“That’s-that’s what!? No! No, no I-I don’t even get– why would– I’ve never had sex with anyone, anywhere. What? Are you insane? It’s none of your- you have- the nerve, the audacity- And she is terrible, so snarky and powerful and that jaw… And how- how do I know, frankly, that you’re not sleeping with her? Maybe you are. Maybe you’re trying to throw me off?”
But Raven wasn’t having any of that nonsense, “Seriously Clarke? You slept with Lexa?”
Panicking Clarke said the first thing she could think of. Facing Raven,she placed her hands gently on her shoulders and looked the brunette right in the eyes, “I did her for you Raven.”
Gesturing vaguely over the expanse of Arkadia, “I did her for all of you.” At Raven’s stunned expression she moved one hand over her heart and the other over Raven’s “I did her for us.”
Raven narrowed her eyes, "So what I'm understanding from this and, stop me if I'm wrong, you U-Hauled your ass to Polis with a free ride from banished prince Uber, she proposed and this is your adopted love child. And all this was for 'the good of our people'." She pointed clearly referring to Aden as the love child while Octavia was beside her shaking in laughter.
“I mean hell I’d do the Commander too, screw our people.” Monroe said, walking past the three girls, Clarke shot her a glare but Octavia recovered enough to hold her back from going after the guard in training.
“Relax Wanheda, anyone can see how whipped Commander heart eyes is for you.”
“Commander who?”
“Eep!” Octavia shot back in shock and pivoted on her heel coming face to face with the Commander herself.
“Uh Heda, well I think I hear Indra calling me, yeah what was that Indra? I’m on patrol? No problem I gotta go patrol now so see you later Heda!”
Green eyes met brown and brown stared at blue, notably the lingering jealousy present from Monroe’s comment. “For the good of our people huh?”
From the corner of her eye Raven saw The Commander fight back a grin while Clarke gave an indignant huff.
“For the greater good.”
“Hah is that what the kids are calling it these days! Well i guess the Commander’s the greatest good you’re ever going to get.” Raven snorted, limping away from the highly amused Commander and her blushing leader.
"So we're back to for your people?"
"She ambushed me, I-I just reacted, you know muscle memory."
"Mmm."
"Aw come on, you know I'm not the best at feelings and stuff."
"I thought that was my line." Lexa nudged her showing she was only playing around
"Are you kidding? You're the most romantic person I know. With the bowing and the fealty and the innumerable amount of candles that seem to follow us into every room."
"I see, then why did you tell me to stop talking the other night, is that a line you tell all the pretty girls?"
"Uuuhh, Aden maybe you should join Octavia on patrol."
"But it was just getting interesting."
Lexa's eyes snapped to his, "Aden."
He bowed respectfully, "Sha, Wanheda, Heda."
They waited until he was a reasonably out of earshot before retiring to their tent, "So about these lines of yours?" Lexa asked, leaving a searing kiss on parted lips
"I'm sure yours are a lot better than mine, Heda." The brunette almost growled at the use of her title
She roughly pulled the blonde to her, one hand wrapped around her lower back while the other gripped her butt, and pressed her lips to Clarke's ear.
"Wanna give me an Australian kiss?"
"Mmm whaaat?" Clarke cut off mid-moan
"It's like French kissing but down under."
"..."
"...Clarke? Did I not say it right."
"Oh my god."
"Clarke?" Lexa was beyond confused at Clarke's exasperated face and unimpressed expression Octavia had assured her that one would work.
Her hand shot up in time to catch her previously discarded jacket, watching Clarke settle into the bed, "Just, go train with Aden or something."
"But-"
"You gotta make sure he's ready and all that for our people or whatever."
"For our people?"
"Yes, hodness now go and never use that line again. Do you even know what down under means? Or Australia?"
"...I see your point. Very well." She would be sure to have a long talk with Octavia later about the so called 'lines' she had assured her would work.