My Best Friend's Wedding

“Thank God that’s over.” Raven utters with a laugh. “I’m so over all of this wedding bullshit.”

The short, eccentric, dark-haired girl had offered Clarke a ride over to Wrigley so that she could spend the evening with Lexa, and Clarke graciously accepted. Raven wasn’t the only one that was over all of the wedding bullshit. If Clarke had to fake one more smile today, she thought that she would honestly crack. Clarke, in the short time since she’d met her, has grown to rather enjoy Raven’s company. The girl is a little peculiar, but amusing nevertheless. She assumes that Lexa and Raven get along quite well too. “You aren’t the only one.” Clarke replies with a chuckle.

“So, Griffin… tell me why you and Sexy Lexy aren’t together.” Clarke’s eyes go wide at Raven’s words. “I mean I’ve never even seen the two of you together and I know that you have more chemistry than she and my senseless cousin have.”

“I take it that you don’t like Costia very much.” Clarke grins as she reaches over to turn the radio volume down.

“We’re only cousins by marriage. Not by blood and most definitely not by choice.” Raven sighs. “It’s been like this for years. She thinks that she’s better than everyone else.”

“Really? I never would have guessed.” The blonde’s voice dripped with sarcasm, causing Raven to laugh out loud.

“You know what, Griffin? I like you. So much so… that I’m going to help you out here. Give you a few pointers.”

Clarke crosses her arms in front of her chest and looks the other woman up and down. What is this girl going on about? What kind of pointers could she possibly give me? “Enlighten me then.”

“Clearly, you’re in love with Lexa.”

“What? How do you kn – I mean how could you possibly know that?” Clarke stumbles over her words and she really hopes that Raven didn’t hear her little screw up.

“Well, I wasn’t entirely sure, but you just confirmed it for me.” Raven smirks deviously.

“I hate you.” Clarke groans. “Okay… so what if I have feelings for Lexa. We’re just friends. That’s all that we will ever be. She’s engaged to Costia now. Your cousin.”

“Fuck Costia.” Raven exclaims making Clarke jump a little bit in her seat. “I’ve been around Lexa a lot in the last few weeks and she talks about Costia about five percent of the time. Another five percent of our time, she’s talking about baseball, which I love by the way, and the final, whopping ninety percent of the time she’s talking about you. You and her both. All of the times and memories that the two of you have shared together. It’s really obvious actually.”

“What is?”

“Lexa is in love with you too.” Raven shrugs and Clarke blushes tremendously.

“No.” Clarke replies, shaking her head in disagreement. “She doesn’t. That’s water under the bridge. I fucked that up big time.”

“Wait, what?” Shit, Clarke… you’ve said too much already. “You mean to tell me that you and Lexa have actually been together? Like together, together?”

Clarke slinks back into her seat and puts her hands over her face and groans loudly, no caring about how big of an idiot she looks like. Raven chuckles, causing Clarke to pull her hands away from her face.

“Oh man. This is too good.”

“Raven, please. You can’t tell anyone. There must be a reason that Lexa hasn’t told Costia that we used to date.”

“Don’t worry, Blondie. Your secret is safe with me.” Raven smiles and Clarke relaxes, but only a small amount. The silence between them settles and it isn’t uncomfortable, but the atmosphere is clearly full of unanswered questions. “So, how do you plan on going about this?” Raven asks finally, breaking the few moments of silence that had built up.

“Go about what exactly?” Clarke asks with a furrowed brow.

“How do you plan on crashing this wedding?”

“What?” Clarke practically shrieks. “Raven, I – There’s no – I mean… I can’t do that.”

“Was that your plan to begin with though? Swoop in and steal back your woman? Because if so… I am so down with that plan, and you of course will need some help from a mastermind of sorts.” Raven wiggles her eyebrows causing Clarke to grin.

“I love Lexa. I do.” Clarke grins, turning her head to look out the passenger side window. She can see Wrigley field coming up in the distance. “More than anything really. She’s been my constant, my one steadying thing throughout the last nine years of my life. It’s going to be hard to let go of that. I know that things will never be the same after this wedding.” This is really the first time that Clarke has spoken these words out loud. She thinks that she feels her heart shatter just a little bit more hearing them aloud. “I just don’t understand what she sees in Costia. Lexa is such a good, gentle, romantic soul and Costia is… not.”

Raven laughs. “I think that Lexa maybe just fell victim to Costia like all of her past lovers.” Clarke looks to the woman driving, asking a silent question in which Raven turns to answer. “Costia is gorgeous. Obviously. Not as gorgeous as me… but still. She’s younger, she comes from a very powerful family… that’s always a big plus – “

“Lexa isn’t like that. She would never date anyone, let alone marry them, for their money.” Clarke interrupts Raven’s words.

“I agree. I don’t believe that Woods is like that at all, but I think that idea gets lodged into the back of some people’s minds. Plus… Lexa isn’t getting any younger. She’s what? Well on her way to thirty? She’s probably just tired of the dating scene. Ready to settle down and what not.” Raven looks over to Clarke with eyes that Clarke can’t help but think look a little desolate. “Maybe she’s tired of waiting around for the one person that she wants more than any other thing.”

Clarke’s heart sinks to the deep abyss of her stomach, causing tears to well up in her eyes. This isn’t right. Clarke Griffin does not cry. She doesn’t allow them to fall. “Raven… I – “ She doesn’t know what she wants to say. Should she believe that what Raven is saying is true? Does Lexa still have romantic feelings for Clarke? If so, there’s only one-way to find out for sure. It’s time for Clarke to go all in. “I’m going to do this.” Clarke finally says, causing Raven to give her, her biggest smile yet. “I have to do this. For another chance with Lexa… I have to try.”

Clarke hadn’t noticed that they had pulled up in front of the stadium. “That’s what I like to hear, Griffin.” Raven smiles once again. “Now go get your girl. For real. I really don’t want to have to wear that damned dress on Sunday.” Clarke laughs and realizes how thankful she is to have found someone like Raven to assist her in all of this mad chaos.

“Hey, Raven?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind setting our reservations for girls’ night tomorrow?” Clarke asks politely.

“Not at all. What are we doing?”

“I was thinking… karaoke.” This brings a whole other devilish grin to Raven’s face and she lets out a small chuckle. Just when Raven is about to drive off, Clarke yells. “Make sure that it’s a real dive.” Raven laughs out loud again, causing Clarke to do the same. This was going to be great.

//

Clarke made her way up to Mr. Daniels’ private box. She guesses owning the Cubs gets you special privileges. Clarke wasn’t too sure about meeting Costia’s father; her mother hadn’t seemed too bad, so she was going into this practically blind. Clarke was able to slip in the door of the box without being heard. It took her a moment to take in the few of the whole place. It was massive. There were windows covering every wall so that you could see all around the ballpark. It was getting dark outside, but the lights of the stadium lit the place up as if it were the early parts of the morning. She notices the huge bar in the club box and chuckles a bit when she sees all of the lavish liquors that were stocked.

Clarke hears a round of laughter up in the forefront area of the box where the cushioned seats were looking out into the field. She walks a bit closer, hoping that she was truly in the right place. It’s then when she sees the top of a familiar brunette. Clarke doesn’t know how long she stood there staring at the back of Lexa’s head, watching it bob a bit every time she laughed or took a swig of her beer. Suddenly, her friend turns in her seat and those indescribable green eyes are like magnets to her blue ones, pulling her in close and holding her there. The smile on Lexa’s face doesn’t dull; it seems to only widen and it makes Clarke’s heart thump harder.

Lexa gets up from her place in front of several old men that Clarke assumes are Mr. Daniels and some of his friends. The taller woman makes her way over to Clarke and pulls her in for a hug. Clarke is sure to wrap her arms around Lexa tightly because she doesn’t know how much longer touching Lexa like this would last. “You look beautiful.” Lexa utters, grinning as she pulls back, but still keeping her hands near Clarke’s waist.

“I’m wearing the same thing that I had on at the airport this morning, Lex. I can’t look too beautiful.” Clarke replies, trying to hide the blush that appears on her face.

Lexa laughs and leans down to place a kiss to Clarke’s forehead. “You are always beautiful, Clarke Griffin.”

“And you’re always such the charmer.” Clarke smirks. “Were you able to get the profiles on the new rookies?”

“So you were listening.” Lexa laughs, and Clarke’s heart almost breaks when she realizes that Costia probably never listens to anything that Lexa says. That girl is always too worried about herself and her money.

“Of course I was.” Clarke grins.

Lexa removes her hands from Clarke’s waist, but only for a second before she’s pulling Clarke out onto a private balcony connected to the side of the club box. The atmosphere outside of the box is so much more Lexa. It’s loud. The vendors are yelling, the cheers and boos are coming from every direction, and the crack of the bat hitting the small baseball, fill the air. Once they’re out there, they both lean up against the railing and look out over the ballpark. “This is amazing.” Clarke breathes.

“Yeah.” Lexa replies and Clarke doesn’t realize that Lexa is still staring directly at her. “So…” Lexa starts, clearing her throat. “The profiles went well. Really well actually. Frank, my boss, said that I should hear something from him soon about whether it will get published or not. He says that he expects big things from it. Like ESPN big.” Lexa’s smile is wide and beautiful. More beautiful than anything that Clarke has ever seen, and the thought of someone like Costia coming in to ruin that makes her angry.

“That’s fantastic, Lex!” Clarke grins and throws her arms around her best friend’s shoulder, pulling her in for another hug. “I’m so proud of you, you know?”

“Yeah?”

“More than anything.” Clarke smiles, earning her one back from Lexa in return.

“What did you do with my best friend?” Lexa asks teasingly.

“I’m still your best friend.” Clarke grins again. “You just haven’t seen me in a while. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this much in under an hour.” Lexa chuckles, earning her a playful slap to the arm from Clarke.

Clarke leans forward over the railing again and Lexa seems to follow her. They are close. Too close, but Clarke makes herself think that it’s only because of the noise that Lexa stands closer to her. So that they can hear each other better. “What are you thinking?” Lexa asks, leaning over to Clarke’s ear and breaking the blonde out of her thoughts.

She turns to meet Lexa’s green eyes once more and wonders if she will ever get over them. Clarke shrugs. “I don’t remember the last time that I’ve smiled this much.” She replies honestly, because she doesn’t. She thinks that the last time she smiled this much, she was with Lexa in the city several months ago.

Lexa notices the slight frown that seems to have taken over her friend’s face. “What seems to be causing this newfound smiling?” Lexa grins.

“That.” Clarke answers.

“What?”

“Your smile.”

“Oh.” Is all that Lexa can manage to squeak out. Clarke doesn’t know if it’s just the weird lighting in the stadium or what, but Lexa seems to be blushing. God. She hopes that that’s the case. They stand there in silence for what feels like an eternity before the brunette speaks again. “How did the fitting go?” Lexa asks as if she had forgotten about Clarke’s day out with her fiancé.

“Fine.” Clarke half-smiled.

“Clarke…”

“The dress was beautiful.” Clarke leaned in to kiss the tip of Lexa’s nose. “Thank you. I love it.”

“Yeah?” The blonde only nods and Lexa lets out an audible sigh. “Clarke, what do you think about her?”

Dammit. She really was hoping that somehow, someway, Lexa would have just forgotten about Costia. No such luck it would seem. Clarke can only bring herself to shrug.

“Clarke? Seriously? What’s the deal?”

“Well… to be perfectly honest, I have been racking my brain to find something that the two of you have in common.” This was it. This is where everything falls apart. She just knows it. Clarke looks over to Lexa hesitantly after her friend doesn’t say anything back to her. Her heart sinks when she sees the pained look on Lexa’s face. “Lexa? Talk to me. Please.”

Lexa moves to sit on one of the seats behind them on the balcony, so Clarke does too. “I just wanted the two of you to get along.”

“Lexa… it’s fine that we don’t get along. I mean, honestly, in my opinion, no one will ever be good enough for you.” Clarke all but whispers. “I don’t want you to settle. I don’t know what it is that you see in her, but maybe you could tell me. I would like to understand where your head is at in all of this. What brought all of this on? This marriage stuff? Last time I talked to you a few months ago you weren’t even thinking about dating anyone.”

“I know. It’s just… I’m getting older now, Clarke. I have a great job, but I feel like its time that I start a family. I feel like there’s this hole in my life that I have to fill.”

“And you think that making a family will fill it?” Lexa nods softly and Clarke reaches over and grabs her friend’s hand and intertwines their fingers. “Lexa… I understand having that emptiness inside, but are you sure that Costia is what will fill it?” Clarke asks and the look of sadness and of the unsure in Lexa’s eyes almost makes her want to cry.

“I have to try.” Lexa looks out over the field, trying to ignore the stinging feeling in her chest and behind her eyes. The one that keeps telling her that she knows what would fill that emptiness in her life. She knows that she’s settling because the thing she wants most… the thing that she loves most, doesn’t want her back. “Costia is fun. She’s exciting. She keeps me on my toes. She’s gorgeous.” It’s almost as if Lexa is trying to convince herself of these things. “When I hug her, even in public, I don’t have to let go right away. If I kiss her when we’re out, she doesn’t pull away. She lets me hold her as long as I want to.” Clarke’s facial expressions must not go unnoticed by Lexa because next she’s asking, “What?”

“Nothing.” Clarke answers, shaking her head and running a hand through her hair. She then gets up to walk back over the railing of the balcony.

“Oh yeah.” Lexa chuckles, but only slightly. It’s almost a sarcastic chuckle. Clarke can hear the brunette standing and walking over to her side. “I forgot about you and the ‘yucky love stuff’.” Clarke spins around to look at Lexa with a questioning, but serious look on her face. Lexa takes a deep breath, not really wanting to fight with Clarke about this, but she has to explain herself now. “You always get like this.” Lexa waves a hand in front of Clarke. “When things start to get sentimental… you clam up.”

“I do not.” Clarke exclaims, hitting Lexa softly with her shoulder.

“Okay.”

“When we were – when you and I were…” Shit Clarke. Why are you bringing this up? It’s only going to bring about more heartache. “When we were – “

“Together?” Lexa finishes.

Clarke hums. “Yeah. Well, did I – umm… when –“

“Yes.”

“What do you mean ‘yes’?” Clarke asks.

“Yes you pulled away when I tried to hug or kiss you in public.” Lexa answers and it’s soft and almost sad. Her green eyes rake over Clarke’s face, looking for something in particular. Clarke almost feels as if she feels her blue eyes filling with unshed tears, but she doesn’t allow them to fall. They only stare at each other for the next few moments. Neither of them knowing what to say to the other.

“I think I’ve changed.” Clarke finally utters, looking back over the ballpark. “I’m not the girl that I used to be, Lexa.”

“Oh, really?” Lexa almost chuckles. Had any relationships last over a week that I should know about? Anything getting serious?”

Clarke laughs then and slaps Lexa playfully on the arm. “This is not about longevity, Lexa. This is about…” Clarke takes a sigh and hopes that this doesn’t come out sounding completely obvious and love struck. “Being okay. With the ‘yucky love stuff’.” Clarke manages to say, earning a confused look from her best friend. “And I am.” She says, leaning slightly closer to Lexa. The look that she receives next from her friend is very confusing to say the least. There’s a hint of a smile there, but there’s also something unknown. Something that Clarke can’t quite pick up on, and the blonde really hopes that Lexa is starting to catch on to her meaning. She doesn’t think that she could bear to just come out right now and say, ‘I love you, Lexa Woods.’

If something doesn’t change though… that might just be what has to happen.

//

Clarke and Lexa pull up outside the Langham Hotel, where they are both staying, later that evening. They watched the rest of the baseball game, laughing and cutting up like usual, but there was something different. Something that most of the time wasn’t there. At least that Clarke has noticed. Every time that Clarke would glance up and over to look at Lexa, Lexa would be staring at Clarke. Sometimes they would share a shy smile, other times Lexa would look away like she wasn’t just caught staring. The pitter-patter that Clarke’s heart seemed to be doing, didn’t act like it was going to stop anytime soon.

Lexa exits her side of the cab and quickly runs over to open Clarke’s door for her. “So chivalrous.” Clarke grins, causing Lexa to perform a cheesy bow.

“So…” Lexa mumbles as they walk into the lobby of the nice hotel. “I – umm… I’m not tired yet. Do you maybe want to watch a movie or something?”

“Sure.” Clarke smiles. “You can come up to my room. Room 307 I believe.”

“Ok. I need to go call Costia first and then I’ll see you there.”

Clarke really hopes that the feeling of pure disgust doesn’t show on her face, because that’s exactly what she was feeling. “Yeah. Uhh – Here.” Clarke digs through her purse and pulls out her extra keycard. “I’m going to jump in the shower. Just let yourself in.”

“Alright.” Lexa smiles, taking the key from Clarke’s hand, and making her way upstairs.

Around twenty minutes later, Clarke is just finishing up in the bathroom. She pulls on her favorite, most comfortable pair of black, lacey underwear with a matching bra, because she’s an idiot and forgot to pack anything else in the way of underwear. Clarke runs her hands through her wet hair, trying not to imagine Lexa’s doing the same thing. She’s pulled out of her daydream by a ringing phone. She looks over the counter to grab her cell phone and smiles when she sees who it is. “Wells.” Clarke grins as she answers the phone.

“Clarke. How’s the mission going?” Wells asks, and she can practically hear the grin on his face.

Clarke let’s out a sigh and runs her fingers through her hair again. She can’t really answer that question, because she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know what’s going on in Lexa’s mind. She still doesn’t know what Lexa sees in Costia, and she sure as hell doesn’t know how Lexa feels about Clarke. “I’m not sure. You should see her, Wells. This Costia chick… she looks perfect, and everything on paper seems perfect.”

“But?”

“But she’s a royal bitch and a pain in my ass.” Clarke groans loudly into the phone. “I just don’t understand. I don’t get why Lexa seems to love her.”

“Sometimes love can’t be explained.”

“Clearly.” Clarke deadpans, and she hears Wells let out a sigh on the other end of the line. “I’m sorry… it’s just – I’m so confused about everything.”

“Are you confused about your feelings for Lexa?”

“What? No.” Clarke answers firmly. “That’s the only thing that I’m sure of. I just have to find a way to get rid of Costia without being a completely awful friend.”

Wells lets out a bellowing laugh, causing Clarke to laugh as well. Come to think of it, this whole plan is so ridiculous. She never would have thought that one day, she would be in love and in the midst of trying to sabotage her best friend’s wedding in order to steal the bride. Well, one of them anyways. “So… as I was saying – “ Clarke opens the bathroom door to walk out to her suite and grab some pajamas to throw on over her underwear, and about the same time that she steps out, Lexa comes through the suite door using Clarke’s spare key. “I just don’t know if I can – Oh shit.” Clarke exclaims, dropping the phone and freaking out that she’s standing in front of Lexa in her underwear.

Lexa must have been entranced, because her mouth hung agape and her eyes were widened, taking in every inch of pale skin that was on display in front of her. “Lexa…” Clarke breathes out, as if she were scared to death. “You – umm… I just –“ Clarke reaches for her pajamas on the chair behind her and she’s a thousand percent positive that her whole body is blushing under Lexa’ gaze.

“Oh – umm… Clarke.” Lexa stutters out, twisting and turning awkwardly in the process. “You – uh… want me to turn around or something?” Jesus, Lexa that was the stupidest question that you could have possibly asked. Get your shit together, woman.

Clarke hesitates. “Yes.” The blonde clears her throat and yanks her pajamas in front of her, backing up slowly into the bathroom. “You were – I forgot…” Clarke’s mind is zapped and she has no clue what she’s trying to say. She pulls her pajamas tightly in front of her once more.

Lexa looks very serious. She still hasn’t turned around, and her dark, green eyes seem to be burning holes through Clarke. “I’ve seen you a lot more naked than that, Clarke.” Clarke is almost positive that she catches the slightest glimpse of a smirk.

“Yeah.” Clarke says quietly, looking down at her feet. She can’t bear to look back into those eyes. “Well… things are different now.” There’s sadness in her voice, and she can’t even bring herself to care that Lexa might have heard it and picked up on it.

“Yeah.” Lexa says with a similar hint of sorrow in her own voice. She looks down at her feet as well. “I guess so.” She chuckles nervously and Clarke starts to back completely up into the bathroom, grabbing her phone from the floor in the process. Before Clarke can get the bathroom door closed completely, Lexa speaks again, but this time… this time it’s something different. There’s courage and a sense of confidence there. “You look really good…without your clothes on.” She grins, causing Clarke to furrow her brows and then chuckle nervously before the blonde shuts the door completely.

‘What the hell?’ Clarke thinks to herself as she slides down the bathroom door to sit on the cold tile flooring. Her mouth is hung wide open and she feels as if her whole body is ablaze from Lexa’s stare. Little does she know, on the other side of the door, Lexa is having a mild freak out of her own.

Clarke puts her cell phone up to her ear when she notices that the call is still connected with Wells. “Wells?”

“Yeah?”

Her voice is soft, so as she doesn’t allow Lexa to hear her from the other room. “Costia’s toast.”

//

A few minutes later Clarke exits the bathroom, in her pajamas this time, and sees Lexa lying on her bed flipping through the channels on the television. “Found anything good to watch?” Clarke asks, as she walks over and plops down beside her friend, being sure to leave enough distance between them that they don’t touch.

“Not really.” Lexa shrugs. Clarke notices that her friend’s shoes are still on her feet, dangling off of the bed.

“Why are your shoes still on?”

“I figured that you were probably too tired to stay up. I think I just may head on up to my room.” Lexa answers, not meeting those blue eyes that she most definitely does not dream of.

“I want to spend time with you.” Clarke says softly as Lexa sits up on the edge of the bed. “Who knows when the next time that we get to hang out will be? If ever.” She says the last part quieter, but Lexa still seems to hear it.

“What?”

“Lexa…” The desolation is back. “After Sunday, things will be different. Costia isn’t going to want me around. She isn’t going to want you spending time with me.”

“What?” Lexa asks, raising a brow. “Why do you think that? She doesn’t get to dictate who I spend time with.”

“She’ll be your wife, Lexa.” Clarke says, and it comes out harsher than she actually meant. “If you want your marriage to work… if being with Costia is truly what you want, then there are certain sacrifices that you will have to make.”

“Yeah. Well… I’m not sacrificing you.” Lexa says, matter-of-factly. “Not my best friend.” Her eyes seem to be extra green because of the unshed tears that start to fill her eyes. Neither one of them say anything. “Can we just watch TV now?” The brunette tries to smile, and change the subject.

“Of course.” Clarke smiles sadly. “Come on.” Clarke lies back on her bed and grabs the remote, and then she’s surprised to find that Lexa has scooted right beside her and placed her head on Clarke’s shoulder. It’s not intimate. It’s friendly, but it’s still everything that Clarke needed in that moment. “You’re my best friend.” Clarke whispers softly, after a few minutes. She actually thinks that Lexa might have fallen asleep until she hears a soft voice answer.

“And you’re mine.”

//

The night comes and goes, bringing upon a new day and with the new day, comes a bright sun. The windows and blinds of Clarke’s hotel room don’t do much to hold the sun at bay. It’s fierce and vivid and it’s exactly not how Clarke wanted to wake up this morning.

That being said, she had completely forgotten about a certain brunette that was snuggled up against her, until said girl started to stir from her sleep as well. ‘Oh god. We fell asleep.’ Clarke thought to herself. ‘Lexa is going to freak out that she stayed over.’

The brunette stretches her arms out wide as she twists and turns in the bed. Clarke tries to create some space between them without being obvious about it. She really doesn’t need Lexa freaking out on her right now. Lexa turns her head and opens one brilliant green eye to peek up at Clarke. “Morning.” Lexa grins and this causes Clarke to let out a very relieved and audible sigh. Thank God she didn’t freak out.

Lexa’s smile is gorgeous and beaming and it’s everything that one person could wish to wake up to every morning for the rest of their lives. The butterflies, which seemed to have taken up residence in Clarke’s stomach, start to stir from their sleep as well, causing a tornado of emotions to form there. “Good morning.” Clarke replies, coolly.

Lexa tries to stretch again and let’s out a groan causing Clarke to laugh and scoot down to face her friend. “What is it?” Clarke asks with a smile.

“Unfortunately, I have to spend the day doing last minute food tastings for the reception.” Lexa answers.

“Oh.” Clarke throws a hand to her forehead to feign shock. “How awful.”

Lexa chuckles and sidles up closer to Clarke. “I would much rather stay here with you.”

“Is that so, Miss Woods?” Clarke smiles and Lexa nods sleepily with her eyes shut. “Then do it.”

Lexa opens her eyelids, giving Clarke another spectacular glimpse into her best friend’s vast and vivid forest-like eyes. “Trust me.” Lexa utters, picking up a hand and pushing a stray strand of blonde hair back behind Clarke’s ear. “If I could, I would.” Suddenly, this feels all too intimate. Clarke’s heart starts to flurry again. It seems to be doing that quite a lot the past couple of days. She can see the moment when Lexa realizes that this is too much for friends too. The brunette slowly removes her hand and gets out of bed, causing Clarke to unconsciously pout out her lower lip.

The brunette beside her bed, sliding her shoes on each of her feet, sees it and chuckles. “I have to go get a shower and get ready for the day.” Lexa leans over to place a kiss on Clarke’s forehead. “I’ll see you later this evening?” Lexa asks Clarke as if she wouldn’t see her. “For this ‘girl’s night out’?”

Clarke nods.

“At least tell me where we’re going.” Lexa smiles.

“No can do.” Clarke grins causing Lexa’s smile to widen as she walks to the door to leave.

“Clarke, Costia doesn’t like surprises.”

“Then that gives me all the more reason to keep it a secret.” Clarke grins devilishly earning her a glare from her best friend.

“Please promise me that you’ll at least try to get along with her tonight.”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “I promise.”

Lexa places her hand on the doorknob to exit Clarke’s hotel room and turns to smile a sweet, but sad smile to her friend still lying in the bed. “Call me if you need anything.” She opens the door and almost runs smooth in to two very familiar faces. Lexa’s eyes are wide and her heart starts to thump rapidly and furiously against the inside of her chest. She doesn’t know why… she wasn’t really doing anything wrong. She stayed the night with her best friend. That was all.

“Woods, what the hell – I thought that this was Clarke’s room.” Raven says, a little too loudly.

“Yeah, Lexa. Why are you in Clarke’s room? Huh?” Octavia Blake says, next and Clarke is sure that that’s whose voice she heard even though she can’t really see her from the bed. The blonde immediately jumps out of the bed and runs over to the door. A huge smile takes over her face when she sees Octavia.

“O!” Clarke launches herself at Octavia and the other girl does the same. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“Ditto, Griffin. It’s been a while.” During the encounter, Raven slips into Clarke’s room and Lexa tries to sneak out. “Don’t think for a minute that you’re off the hook, Woods.” Octavia says teasingly to their mutual friend, who doesn’t turn back to face them.

Raven, Octavia and Clarke all enter Clarke’s hotel room and plop down onto the bed. “So you two know each other then?” Clarke asks the other two girls.

“We do.”

“We have hung out a few times here and there.” Octavia says. “So, you mind telling us why Lexa was just sneaking out of your room?”

“She wasn’t sneaking. We just fell asleep watching a movie last night. She has to go get ready.”

“Yeah.” Octavia says, firmly. “For a day with her fiancé… who she is marrying on Sunday.”

“Chill out, Blake.” Raven pipes in from where she’s digging through Clarke’s mini fridge now at the other side of the room. “Clarke is here to steal her back.”

“Raven!”

“Excuse me? Steal her back? What the hell does that even mean?” Octavia asks, mouth wide open and brows furrowed.

There are a few intense moments of silence between the three women. Clarke doesn’t know why she’s so nervous about Octavia knowing about any of this. Clarke knows that Octavia would be down with Clarke and Lexa getting together in the end. It’s just when the blonde starts to think about it… this whole plan makes her seem like such a home wrecker. It makes her feel dirty inside. “O…” Clarke begins. “I love Lexa.”

“I know, Clarke.” Octavia says while rolling her eyes. “You guys are the best of friends.”

“No. I’m in love with her. “ Clarke says firmly. “I came here because I can’t stand the thought of losing her to someone else. I know that I waited way too long to realize it, but…I see it now.” Octavia’s eyes are wide and Clarke would find it almost comical if this weren’t so serious to her. “I especially can’t lose her to someone like Costia Daniels. No offense, Raven.”

“None taken.”

“I’m not going to let Costia snuff out Lexa’s light. She’s too good to become this ‘trophy wife’ that Costia wants to make her out to be. I haven’t spent much time with Costia… but I know that she doesn’t love Lexa. Not like Lexa deserves to be loved.”

“Holy shit.” Octavia manages to say after a few moments of silence. The shorter woman gets up off the bed to pace around the room with her hand held to her forehead. “Holy shit…you’re – you’re really in love with her…. Fucking finally!” Octavia exclaims.

“Finally?” Clarke eyes her friend in bewilderment.

“I thought that you would never realize that you two were more than just friends.”

This causes Clarke to roll her eyes. “Now if I only knew how Lexa felt about me.”

“Are you kidding me, Clarke?” Octavia asks sarcastically. “That girl is crazy about you. She would drop Costia’s no good ass if she knew that you felt the same about her.”

A few more moments of silence pass and Clarke starts to feel even more nervous now. She’s not too sure that she likes all of these people knowing about her feelings of Lexa and her reasoning behind being here. She wonders what would have happened if Lexa wouldn’t have had to go be with Costia all day. If the two of them could have just stayed in bed all day together… what would have came of it? Would Clarke have finally admitted her feelings?

“So, are you in, O?” Raven asks from her corner of the room.

“In what?” Clarke asks nervously.

“Hell yeah I’m in.” Octavia shouts. “Operation Clexa has commenced.”