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“I can’t believe you dragged me out here,” Lexa hissed, her words directed at a head of dirty-blonde hair as Anya strode up the walkway toward the front of the frat house. Lexa could already hear the bass thumping from the windows and was deeply regretting agreeing to come play wingwoman for her roommate.
The party hadn’t quite spilled onto the front lawn — yet — but Lexa wasn’t sure if that was because the party was actually tame or they were just trying to hide the fact that minors were drinking alcohol.
“C’mon, nerd. You need a night off every once in a while,” Anya jibed without even bothering to turn around. “Political relations and international methodology will still be there tomorrow. Plus, I think Raven’s finally gonna make a move. I need you here to help make that happen. And make sure I don’t look desperate.”
“It’s political methodology and international relations,” Lexa groused, following Anya up the stone steps. “And, what? Your usual method of looking intimidating from across the room hasn’t inspired a spontaneous proposal out of her yet?”
Anya rolled her eyes as they greeted the bouncer and were waved through. “I’ll have you know we’ve had three conversations. And for the second one, I even approached her. How do you think we got invited to this party?”
“We’re women. I figured we didn’t need invites,” Lexa grumbled. “Aren’t they always trying to get more girls into these things?”
Anya scoffed at that. “Come on, Lexa. This frat is co-ed. They don’t need any help getting girls in here.”
Lexa was going to make another snarky retort, but Anya chose that moment to open a portal to a sonic dimension. Or simply open the door to the wall of noise that made up the frat party, but it sounded the same to Lexa.
“How are we gonna find Raven?” Lexa shouted over the noise, sticking close behind Anya as she weaved through the crowd, practically running into her when Anya stopped abruptly.
“Done!” Anya called back.
Lexa looked up, following Anya’s pointed finger to a particularly loud group surrounding what appeared to be the kitchen table. Through the gaps in the crowd, Lexa caught sight of the woman Anya had stalked on social media more than once. She was kneeling on the table, her hands out in front of her. One hand was holding some sort of tube, and the other was pulling up some sort of black cloth; the crowd was blocking much more than that.
Just as Lexa prepared to turn to Anya, ready to insist that Raven was clearly busy and they should at least find somewhere quieter to wait, the crowd shifted.
Attached to both the hose and the cloth was a woman. An upside down woman. An upside down, incredibly hot woman.
The cloth was in fact the woman’s t-shirt that Raven held up to her sternum, keeping it out of her face and, unfortunately, blocking a view that Lexa thought may have rendered her unconscious.
The tube was attached to a spigot at one end that was aimed into the woman’s mouth, and at the other end it connected to a metal keg that was sitting on top of the table. A keg that this vision of a woman — who had no business being that attractive in just a baggy t-shirt and skinny jeans — was doing an unassisted handstand on while she drank from the spigot.
Lexa took that moment to process that the “Chug! Chug! Chug!” she had been hearing since entering the party was clearly coming from the crowd around this table.
Raven must have gotten a signal from her friend, because she was suddenly pulling the spigot away and reaching up to support those jean-clad legs as they began to bend back toward the floor — or the table, in this case.
Lexa watched in awe as the pair dismounted the table to whoops and hollers, large grins stretching over both of their faces. She saw Raven’s friend sway as both of them moved to the edge of the group — whether from the overzealous pats on the back she was receiving or the large amount of alcohol she had just consumed, Lexa wasn’t sure.
“Maybe you’ll end up thanking me for bringing you,” Anya drawled, snapping Lexa out of her blatant staring.
“What?” Lexa snapped, whipping her head — and, after a slight hesitation, her gaze — around to face Anya.
“That’s Clarke. Raven’s best friend. You should talk to her.” Anya wasn’t even looking at Lexa, her eyes fixed on the scene in front of her, but the knowing smirk on her face was enough to put Lexa on the defensive.
“Yeah, right,” Lexa spluttered, a blush staining her cheeks. “She’s probably just another party girl player. I’m not interested.”
Anya hummed noncommittally. “Tell that to your eyes,” she murmured.
Lexa jerked, pulling her gaze away from where it had wandered back to Clarke. “I—,” she began, indignantly, but Anya cut her off.
“Wipe up your drool. They’re looking our way.” Anya said.
Lexa snapped her mouth shut, her jaw clenching in frustration at her friend before she turned to see that Raven and Clarke were, in fact, facing one another and looking nowhere near their direction.
She shot Anya another glare to find her friend smirking at her phone rather than even looking at the duo across the room. A duo that were now engaged in what appeared to be a somewhat intense discussion, and — did Raven just point at them? Maybe Anya wasn’t lying when she said they’d looked over.
Lexa didn’t have long to ponder that question as suddenly brilliantly blue eyes were fixed on her, and she was forced to avert her gaze or risk combusting in humiliation or maybe desire.
Hiding in the excuse of looking at Anya’s phone, Lexa finally risked a glance back at Clarke to see her rolling her eyes at Raven with an emphatic gesture at Lexa and Anya. Lexa wasn’t sure what that was about, but she assumed she should be offended.
She saw Raven wink back at Clarke’s clear exasperation before nudging Anya hard with her elbow as Raven turned and strode purposefully their way.
“Anya! You made it!” Raven called, striding up to them with a wide smile on her face.
Anya shrugged, lowering her raised hand to fall back into her folded arms. “Didn’t have anything else to do.”
Raven smirked, her eyes bright and knowing. “Yeah, right,” she scoffed, “you missed me. Admit it, Forrest. You couldn’t wait to see me again.”
Anya huffed, but Lexa could see the corners of her lips twitch upwards.
The pair was clearly a good match. So good, in fact, that Lexa already seemed to have been forgotten as the two stared longingly into each other’s eyes — or challengingly. Same thing, with Anya.
Which begs the question, why is Lexa still here?
“I’ve got that 3D model for our matrix calculus and data science course on my PC upstairs, if you want.” Raven’s shoulders were already shifting, angling toward the stairs.
A full smile actually breaks over Anya’s face as she nods, taking Raven’s outstretched hand and allowing herself to be pulled away.
“Oh, so you just drag me here for nothing?” Lexa called after them, affronted. “Didn’t even need me and you’re already ditching me!”
Anya just laughed, but Raven turned her head. “Clarke’s single, by the way,” she calls, sending a wink over her shoulder.
Lexa gaped, her ears burning and her eyes narrowed as she watched them stroll up the stairs, hand-in-hand and laughing.
Of course, the universe chose that moment for a small cough to come from Lexa’s right.
Turning her glare on the newcomer, Lexa came face-to-face with Clarke who had the audacity to smirk at Lexa’s glower, those stupidly gorgeous eyes twinkling in the colorful lighting.
“Drink?” Clarke asked, holding out a plastic cup full of some dark liquid.
Lexa rolled her eyes; she’d really rather just go home since Anya clearly had no use for her. “I’m not gonna drink whatever horrible concoction you guys have come up with,” she said, shaking her head.
“You’re right.” Clarke nodded sagely. “Who knows what all those chemicals in Coca-Cola are. I can get you a beer instead, if you want.”
Lexa huffed, grabbing the cup roughly and taking a large gulp — purely to check that it really was soda (it was) and definitely not to cover the ghost of a smile.
Settling herself against the wall, Clarke sidelong at Lexa. “Sorry about Raven. I told her not to leave you stranded, but…”
Lexa rolled her eyes, thinking about her so-called best friend. “It’s not your fault Anya has no sense of loyalty.” She glared into her drink, her lips pursed in a scowl. “She always does this. Drags me into something or another because she absolutely needs my help and then it turns out she’s fine and I’m stuck.”
Clarke laughed, and Lexa could feel her shoulders drop slightly against her will. “Raven’s the exact same way. Except usually she needs my help a few hours after she’s ditched me to help her out of whatever trouble she’s managed to get herself into.”
Lexa cocked an eyebrow, intrigued enough to allow Clarke to continue.
“Well, last week she begged me to help her prank the assholes at Sigma Alpha. I mean I was totally onboard — those guys seriously suck — but next thing I know I’m in the back of her chem lab, and she’s hunched over this gigantic sheet of drafting paper with like four of her nerd friends.” Clarke gestured at nothing, clearly pointing out the imaginary figures leaning over a shared table. “I have no clue what language they’re speaking at this point, so I step out to sit in the hallway because whatever fumes they were messing with were giving me a massive headache.” Clarke scrunched her nose as if merely remembering the experience was causing her great pain, and Lexa felt her lips twitch again.
“I walked back in about fifteen minutes later to check on them and see if I could help, and they’re gone.” Clarke looked directly at Lexa, her eyes wide in clear devastation at her past abandonment. “No text. No note. Raven’s not answering her phone. Pretty sure they forgot about me, which is impressive since I drove them there with all their stuff.” She sighed, folding her arms petulantly even as one still held her own drink.
“Luckily, they hadn’t taken my car. So I get back to the house and there’s no sign of them. Few hours go by and I get a call, because apparently Raven does in fact remember I exist sometimes.” She took a sip of her drink, rolling her eyes at the memory.
“Long story short, they added some sort of compound to the water so that everything they washed — including themselves — would smell like rotten garbage for weeks. Allegedly, of course,” she added with a wink. “But, Raven being Raven, she decided to also rig the cue ball on their pool table so when they hit it to break, it would explode and cover them all in red dye and that same disgusting compound. Allegedly.
“They played pool a little sooner than expected and the nerds were hiding from a bunch of angry Sigma Alphas in the middle of the woods. Had to drive all over the place trying to find them. And Raven’s about halfway through her two week ban on explosives.” Clarke finished, raising her eyebrow with a long-suffering sigh.
Lexa chuckled in spite of herself, looking forward to teasing Anya when she becomes this haggard if the relationship with Raven went in the direction it was aiming toward — though, knowing Anya, she’d probably be right there with Raven suggesting more dangerous plans and making sure they never get caught. That woman could be scary when she wanted.
***
Before Lexa could respond, one of the men she vaguely recognized from the crowd that had watched Clarke’s keg stand came stumbling up to them.
“Yo, Clarkeyyyy!” he slurred, swaying dangerously in his spot and sloshing some suspiciously strong smelling drink around in his cup.
“What’s up, Jasper?” Clarke asked, reaching out to steady him as he leaned toward her, practically putting all his weight on Clarke.
“S’beer pong!” he shouted. “C’mon!”
Clarke smiled gently at the clear intoxication. “That’s okay, man. How about I let you all have a chance this time?” She pushed him back slightly via the grip on his arms, standing him more upright. “Though…hey, Monty?” she called, her eyes finding a much more sober-looking man nearby. “Maybe Jasper should sit this one out? And maybe get him some water?”
“You got it, Clarke,” Monty said, striding over.
“Awww,” Jasper whined, pouting. “But we were gonna win!”
Monty eyed him, smirking. “That’s just ‘cause Clarke’s undefeated and would manage to carry your drunk ass. Let’s go, man. I think there’s a couch calling your name.”
Lexa watched over the rim of her cup as Monty half guided, half carried Jasper away from them before turning to Clarke.
“You could’ve gone with them, you know. It’s fine.” Lexa said, staring into her half-finished soda.
“I’m good. Having a much better time here,” Clarke told her.
When Lexa glanced up, Clarke was staring intently into her eyes, a small smirk on her lips — that Lexa’s gaze definitely didn’t linger on. And in a move that absolutely did not set off Lexa’s internal gay panic, Clarke had the audacity to wink.
Lexa took another large gulp, ducking her head to hide her blush behind the rim of her cup and fight the flattered smile that was threatening to spread over her face.
“It’s really fine,” she said, trying to regain some composure. “I should probably head home anyway. Doesn’t look like I’m getting my best friend back for a while.” She rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t muster the same amount of frustration for Anya that she’d started the night with.
“Well you can’t leave yet,” Clarke insisted. “You haven’t even finished your horrible concoction. How will I know if it’s drinkable?” She asked, batting her eyelids dramatically at Lexa
“Fine,” Lexa sighed, rolling her eyes slightly though not even bothering to hide her smirk. “Is there at least somewhere quieter?”
“Of course!” Clarke strode purposely toward the front door. She swung it open and gestured Lexa through, explaining, “I’d invite you up to my room, but I share it with Raven so it’s probably the current site of some intensely nerdy foreplay.”
Lexa huffed a laugh in agreement, walking past Clarke and out to the front lawn.
“Hey, Collins. Staying warm?” Clarke greeted the bouncer, receiving a nod in return as she closed the door and stepped past him. “This way,” she said, ushering Lexa down a stepping stone path to the side of the house.
There was a small space there; a nook walled in on one side by the house itself and on another two by the fenced in backyards of this and the neighboring frat houses. A hedge added a bit more privacy, partially shielding the area from the street.
Nestled in the spot was a porch swing, clearly past its prime but well taken care of. The white paint looked newly applied on its frame, silver patterns tracing through like vines wrapping around the bars. The wood was smooth and lacquered. The chains were rust-free and, when Lexa sat down at Clarke’s beckoning, eased the bench into a soft sway without a squeak.
Lexa could feel Clarke’s gaze on her as she surveyed the structure, the whole scene bathed in the gold beam of a light affixed to the siding of the house.
“Raven and I found this when we were pledges,” Clarke explained. “Someone was giving it away at a garage sale. Totally falling apart. So we dragged it back here on a couple of skateboards. She fixed it up, I added the paint and lacquer, and we set this space up. The brothers intended for it to be essentially a makeout spot. Put it in the front so everyone could cheer on whatever brother was headed out.” Clarke chuckled, turning into a full-blown laugh when Lexa whipped her head around to glare suspiciously at Clarke.
“Don’t worry,” Clarke reassured, “it never got the reputation. Turns out underclassmen aren’t all that willing to go out near the street when they’ve been drinking illegally. Not enough time to run from the cops and all. It’s mostly forgotten about since they can’t see it every day, but Raven and I take care of it.”
Lexa relaxed again, letting the soft sway of the bench and the distant croaking of frogs calm her. “You and Raven seem very close,” she probed. Anya may have shown no loyalty to her, but that doesn’t mean Lexa didn’t want to know more about the woman she was so enraptured with.
“Yeah, don’t worry. Raven’s a good one.” Clarke had that twinkle in her eye again, and Lexa huffed, annoyed at how easily Clarke seemed to read her. “We became best friends in middle school when she got detention for me. Our bio teacher, Charles Pike, kept misgendering me so she started calling him Charlotte exclusively. Told my dad and he came down hard on the school. Raven’s disciplinary record was cleared and Pike was given a warning. He was tenured so they didn’t bother doing anything more, but Raven called him Charlotte for the rest of the year.”
Lexa smiled softly, seeing the clear affection in Clarke’s eyes as she relived the memory.
“After that we were inseparable,” Clarke finished, shaking herself back to the present with a shrug. “What about you? How did you meet Anya?”
“Oh, um…” Lexa hesitated, her eyes drifting.
“You don’t have to tell me if you’re not comfortable,” Clarke said, her tone softening considerably.
“No, it’s just…well, I wasn’t a great student going into high school. My parents died a few years before that, and I was trying to adjust to the system, and I was mad at the world.” Lexa stared up at the silver patterns snaking around the metal bar above them. “Anya was my school-assigned tutor when I started failing algebra. She took me under her wing a bit. Got me back on track. She and her family were incredible. They helped me get my scholarship and explain my grades when applying to colleges. I wouldn’t be here without them.” She shrugged, trying to shake off what she’d said.
When Lexa lowered her gaze, she found Clarke looking at her with an intensity and softness that made her blush, but she couldn’t deny the slight flutter in her chest at the obvious care in Clarke’s expression.
“I’m glad you had her,” Clarke said simply. “So, what are you studying?” Clarke asked, turning her eyes toward the hedge in front of them. Lexa found herself smiling gratefully at the clear offer of privacy and a topic change.
“Poly-sci,” Lexa said with considerably more energy, her passion clearly shining through. “I want to get involved in the local government back home. Start some change from within and all.”
“That’s admirable.” Clarke smiled slightly, her eyebrows raising in mild surprise. “Gonna stick it to The Man from the inside, huh?”
“Something like that,” Lexa admitted, huffing a small laugh. “What about you?”
It was Clarke’s turn for melancholy as her expression shuttered slightly. “Mechanical Engineering,” she murmured. “Like my dad. He used to help me take everything in the house apart and show me how it worked. Drove my mom nuts because there was usually a kitchen appliance missing at least once a week. She wanted me to go into medicine, like her. I was gonna, but Dad died during application season, and, well, I wanted to be able to remember all the good times with him when I went to work instead of working in a hospital and remembering his last days.”
Lexa stayed quiet for a moment, letting the heaviness settle around them, studying the depth of this woman she had so completely misjudged.
“He sounds like a wonderful man,” she said finally.
“The best,” Clarke confirmed, a slight wobble to her smile as she met Lexa’s eyes. “But this is the failed romance spot! Not the depressing tragedy spot. So, what do you think? Can your best friend keep up with my best friend?”
And just like that, the solemnity was broken. Lexa quickly rose to the perceived challenge and the pair began telling more and more outrageous stories about their friends’ antics. Pretty soon, Lexa had a stitch in her side from all the laughing, and both she and Clarke were convinced that Raven and Anya were meant to be.
“—And this guy was easily half a foot taller than her,” Lexa was saying, recounting a moment of Anya’s protectiveness after some jock had made fun of Lexa’s hand-me-down clothes. Clarke’s eyes were sparkling with mirth as she grinned, though Lexa could see a soft affection in her expression that she chose not to analyze. “Somehow, she gets him pinned up against the lockers and—” Lexa cut herself off as her mouth stretched in a jaw-cracking yawn, her eyes squeezing shut with the size of it.
“Whoa, past your bedtime, nerd?” Clarke teased, her grin widening. Lexa shoved her with her shoulder, causing Clarke to sway slightly as she laughed.
“It’s only…” Lexa started, pulling out her phone to check the time, “one-thirty?? When did that happen?” Her eyes widened in shock. They’d arrived at the part at nine, a concession Anya had made to get Lexa to come, agreeing to leave before midnight. “I should get home. I’ve got homework to do tomorrow.”
Lexa saw the slight pout pull at the corners of Clarke’s lips and couldn’t help her own frown in return, but Clarke quickly recovered, a smile back on her face.
“Alright, brainiac, at least let me walk you.” Clarke stood up, offering a hand to Lexa.
She considered refusing, not wanting to drag Clarke all the way to the apartments on the other side of campus, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to consider parting so soon, so she let Clarke pull her to her feet.
Striding away from the frat house was like closing the door on a long day. The silence of the street enveloped them as they moved further from the thumping base and soon it was just the sounds of their quiet chatter, the cloudless night sky, and the small puffs of steam rising into the cold night air.
The conversation flowed easily, and Lexa found herself unconsciously pressing her shoulder into Clarke’s as they walked, though her hands remained stuffed in her pockets to ward off the chill, a slight shiver running through her — though whether that was the temperature or the proximity, she wasn’t certain.
She could see goosebumps lining Clarke’s bare arms, but still reveled in the heat Clarke somehow managed to emanate into Lexa’s side, shuffling closer still.
The swoop of disappointment Lexa felt when she saw her apartment building come into view was unexpected, but, in hindsight, not all that surprising. Her feet slowed as the pair trudged up the cement staircase to her second-story walk-up, and suddenly nthey were at the door — and the end of the night.
Lexa turned toward Clarke, fidgeting with her fingers as she tried to think of something to say. Clarke looked just as nervous, a deep furrow in her brow as her eyes stayed fixed off to the side.
Lexa sighed, pulling her mouth into a tight line as she reluctantly convinced herself to end the interaction. “Well, thank you, Cl—arke,” she started, but her last word pitched into a startled squeak as she felt the warm press of Clarke’s lips against her own cheek.
It was only a moment before Clarke pulled back, her hands gripping the hem of her t-shirt in a nervous habit that Lexa couldn’t find anything but endearing.
“I’m sorry,” Clarke said, her lower lip trapped between her teeth as she glanced into Lexa’s wide eyes before looking aside. “I just…well…” Lexa saw the moment Clarke’s resolve hardened, her shoulders lifting in a deep sigh before settling straighter than before, her vision suddenly zeroed in on Lexa. “I had a really nice time tonight, Lexa.”
Tongue darting out to wet her own lips, Lexa could feel the way Clarke’s eyes tracked her movement. Her lips parted as she attempted to steady her breathing. “No, no. I…I had a nice time, too,” Lexa finally managed to murmur. Her awkward stuttering was well worth it as Clarke’s face broke into a soft, brilliant smile that made Lexa’s chest feel tight and warm.
“I’m glad,” Clarke whispered, and suddenly she was close again, her breath fanning over Lexa’s face as she hovered millimeters from Lexa.
A second passed. Then another. Before Lexa couldn’t take it anymore and surged forward, closing the gap.
The response was instantaneous. One arm was snaking around her waist, squeezing like a vice as though Clarke couldn’t bring her closer enough. The other hand dragged fingertips up her spine, shivers following in their wake as they settled onto the nape of Lexa’s neck, scratching softly at the downy hairs at the base of her skull.
Lexa’s entire body shuddered as she melted into Clarke’s embrace, her own hands coming up to grip Clarke’s shoulders, trying to gain some sense of stability. Clarke darted her tongue out to run along Lexa’s lower lip and Lexa gave in, her arms sliding over Clarke’s shoulders to cross behind Clarke’s neck as she parted her lips and allowed Clarke’s tongue to lick inside.
The soft, wet heat running over the roof of her mouth, the edge of her teeth, even her own tongue, was intoxicating. Lexa heard a small, broken moan drag out in the night air before realizing it was coming from her and choking it off.
Finally, regretfully, they parted.
Lexa found her back pressed against her own door, her chest heaving as she panted, her hands still around Clarke’s shoulders, now settled in Clarke’s hair, softly playing with the curls there. Clarke’s hands slipped to Lexa’s waist, her fingers flexing gently as she flashed that devastating smirk up at Lexa. Lexa could barely maintain her deliberate breaths as she watched those wet, kiss-swollen lips quirk into what was quickly becoming her favorite expression.
“Well,” Clarke finally breathed, leaning in to press one more peck on Lexa’s lips. “I should get back. But I’d really, really like to see you again, if that’s okay?” She was tentative again, her smirk still present, but the swagger undercut by the small twitch in her brow and the teeth that trapped those devastating lips between them.
“Yes, please,” was all Lexa could whisper, her own smile pulling at her cheeks.
Clarke deftly snagged Lexa’s phone from her pocket as she pulled her hands from Lexa’s waist (Lexa had to stop herself from releasing a whimper at the loss of contact). Within moments, the phone was back in her hand, a new contact staring back at her with a simple “Clarke <3” as the contact name.
“I’ll call you,” Clarke promised as she began to back away, her feet dragging as if they couldn’t bear to leave Lexa, the smile on her lips brightening the surrounding night air — Lexa would tease, but she could feel the same one spread across her own face.
“You better,” she said, her eyes following Clarke until finally she turned the corner.
Lexa let herself into her apartment, the dopey grin still on her face. As soon as the door was closed, she sagged against it, a soft squeal escaping her as she replayed every second of the night on loop.
Just then, as if sensing her friend’s news, Anya called.
Lexa tried to school her face back to impassive, not wanting to let her voice give away how right Anya had been.
“Hey!” Anya’s voice was breathless and tight, her attention clearly elsewhere. “Figured you might not hear a text. Uh…can you — shh — can you get yourself home? I’mmmmm not gonna be back tonight.”
Lexa’s face dropped from barely-masked elation to lip-curling disgust. “Ewwww. Anya. I would have preferred a text! Don’t call me when you’re— gross! I’m fine! I’m already home! Goodbye!”
“Mmmmmh… Bye!” Lexa had never before appreciated the true beauty of the hang-up beep.
Dropping her head back against the door, Lexa puffed her cheeks as she blew out a deep breath, trying to erase the images Anya had put into her mind with those noises.
At least she didn’t have to worry about Anya witnessing her post-Clarke giddyness since she was clearly staying with Raven. Though they might be able to tell something happened when Clarke—
“Clarke!” Lexa spun around, hastily fumbling with the doorknob before finally managing to yank it open. “Clarke!” she repeated, calling out into the night and certainly disturbing some of her neighbors. She ran out, grateful she hadn’t gotten around to removing her shoes, and darted around the corner she’d seen Clarke disappear behind, before coming to an abrupt stop when she ran into the solid form of Clarke herself.
Lexa found herself held up by her grip on Clarke’s t-shirt and Clarke’s arms — one stabilizing her elbow and the other wrapped around her waist once more. Breath catching in her throat, Lexa found herself leaning into Clarke’s chest, her vision suddenly filled with intense, sparkling blue and that infuriatingly hot smirk.
“Miss me already?” Clarke asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper in their bubble of intimacy, her confidence clearly riding high after their kiss.
“No— I mean— yes, but— that’s not— Anya called!” Lexa stuttered, completely flustered and utterly distracted by those still slightly swollen lips.
“Oh, so you got the news directly?” Clarke complained, her lips pursing in exasperation. “Raven just texted me ‘Don’t come home’ and rejected my calls. I pieced it together after a particularly informative string of emojis.” Her nose wrinkled in mild disgust.
“Believe me, you’re lucky. Anya’s number is getting screened whenever there’s a chance she’s with Raven.” Lexa shuddered at the memory. Clarke chuckled, her eyes shimmering in amusement.
“So, what’d you come running for? You could’ve texted me,” Clarke teased, though the warmth in her smile softened any malice.
“I…um…well…” Lexa stuttered, suddenly shy about her reason for chasing Clarke down. She glanced away, finding the sidewalk landscaping particularly interesting. “You can’t go back to your room,” she murmured, twisting her fingers.
“Yeah,” Clarke admitted with a sigh, “but it’s a big house. Figured I’d crash on the couch.”
Lexa straightened at that, her chin lifting in stubbornness, even if not confidence. “No.”
“No?” Clarke’s eyebrows shot up, her teeth pulling at her lip as she failed to suppress an amused smile.
“No. You can take Anya’s bed if you don’t want to sleep with me.” That broke Clarke’s composure completely, one eyebrow shooting up as her lips slipped out from her mouth and into a wide, cocky grin. “I mean—” Lexa squeaked, her eyes widening as she realized what she’d said. “I just— ugh! There’s like thirty drunk kids at your house. Even if the couch is unoccupied, there’s no way it’s sanitary. Come on.”
And with that, she untangled herself — albeit reluctantly — from Clarke’s embrace, wrapping her fingers around Clarke’s wrist, and striding back toward her apartment with purpose. She could hear Clarke chuckling behind her, but could also feel her walking along obediently.
Lexa’s mind was running wild on the short walk back. After her slip-up, the pictures Anya had put in her mind had morphed to become far more appealing, suddenly, and she was grateful for the cool night air helping to soothe her blush.
All too soon, they were back at the door, the scene of the kiss that had kept Lexa flustered ever since. She opened her door with her free hand, pulling Clarke inside before losing steam, glancing around at the coffee cup on the counter, the jacket draped over the kitchen chair, the stacks of textbooks and worksheets scattered over the table.
“It’s…a bit of a mess,” Lexa admitted self-consciously. “My room is a bit cleaner. We can maybe watch a movie in there?” She suggested shyly.
Clarke grinned slyly. “I was under the impression you were worried I was just trying to get you into bed. And here you are doing all the work for me.”
“Shut up,” Lexa muttered, her cheeks burning.
“I’m kidding, Lex,” Clarke said softly, pulling on Lexa’s wrist to keep her from ducking away, though the nickname did nothing to cool Lexa’s blush. “Let’s go watch a movie.”
Lexa couldn’t help the small smile that bloomed as a fluttering erupted in her chest. She gave a small nod and led Clarke through the mess of a kitchen and into her small bedroom. There was just enough space for the single bed on one side and the wardrobe on the other, with a desk under the window in the corner, but she had a wall between herself and Anya, so she liked to call it ‘cozy’ rather than ‘cramped’.
Lexa hesitated for a moment, gathering her courage. “I’m gonna…do you mind if I change? I probably have something that fits you, too.”
Clarke smiled gently. “I’d appreciate that.”
Lexa nodded resolutely, pulling open the bottom drawer in her wardrobe to grab her own pj's and a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt for Clarke. She pushed the clothes into Clarke’s hands. “I’m gonna…” she murmured, gesturing toward the door. Clarke just nodded, a sparkle in her eyes at Lexa’s shyness.
Once she had sequestered herself in the bathroom, Lexa took a moment splashing cold water on her face and pulling in a few deep breaths. She quickly slipped into her well-worn sleep shorts and t-shirt, debating for just a moment before shrugging out of her bra.
With one last centering breath, she knocked on her own door, waiting for Clarke’s permission before pushing it open.
That breath was immediately knocked out of her at the sight of Clarke dressed in her clothes, sitting in her bed cross-legged, and looking like she belonged there. A traitorous and way too over-eager part of Lexa thought that maybe this is exactly where Clarke belonged.
Reminding herself that she’d known Clarke for only about four hours, Lexa nabbed her laptop and clambered onto the bed, settling beside Clarke against the headboard.
It took a few awkward adjustments before Lexa gave in, allowing her thigh to press against Clarke’s folded knee and her shoulder to brush against Clarke’s. She focused on pulling up the streaming service she paid for with Anya.
“Anything in particular you want to watch?” She whispered, feeling like anything louder might shatter the intimacy they’d unintentionally created.
“I’m up for anything. We can finish watching that,” Clarke suggested, pointing at the suggested documentary, the progress bar only halfway through. Lexa blushed but nodded, clicking resume on the video.
They leaned back, naturally settling closer to one another as the sounds of the narrator lulled them into a state of calm.
Before she knew it, Lexa’s head was leaning against Clarke’s chest and Clarke’s arm was around her shoulders. Their ankles had hooked together when Clarke had stretched out her legs and neither had bothered to detach themselves.
As the Mid-Atlantic voice faded into one that was vaguely British, Lexa felt her eyes drooping shut. She curled into the warm body beside her, smacking her lips sleepily as her mind slowly dissolved into a fuzzy contentment.
She thought she might have heard a soft voice whispering something to her that made her feel a little fluttery, and she was pretty sure she felt something move before the narrator stopped and the weight lifted from her legs, but the moment a gentle pattern was running through her hair, all higher cognitive function ceased and Lexa was drifting in a deep sleep.
“Damn it! Fine, Raven, I’m buying dinner tonight. Clarke’s the pillow and they’re cuddling like long-term lovers. You better like Domino's! I’m not made of money!”
Lexa grumbled as she was jarred out of her sleep by Anya’s voice yelling from a few feet away and the slam of her door that followed. She burrowed deeper into her pillows before feeling the pillows move beneath her.
Opening her eyes blearily, she peered up at the shape cradling her, coming face-to-face with Clarke, who was grinning down at her with that soft look in her eyes and chuckling.
Lexa buried her face back in Clarke’s shoulder, a blush blooming over her cheeks even as a smile spread across her lips at that warm look from Clarke.
Finally, she processed what Anya had said and groaned. She was never going to live this down, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be too upset about it.