Moving Forwards
Song : Let It Go by James Bay
Lexa and Clarke made it back to the apartment, and were very surprised to see Anya and Raven fighting for a piece of cake.
“Give it back Woods, this was mine!” Raven growled, trying to take the cake back.
But Anya held it over Raven’s head; who was too small to reach it. “In your dreams, Reyes”, Anya shot back, smirking at the brunette who was still waving her arms around to reach the plate in Anya’s hand.
Clarke shot a confused look to Jasper and Monty, but those two were obviously too focused on their plates to know what was going on, so they just shrugged.
“OK enough, kids” Lexa said at the girls, grabbing Anya’s arm by surprise and taking the cake for herself.
Raven’s and Anya’s eyes shot open, surprised at Lexa’s move, as Clarke and Ayden were laughing uncontrollably. Lexa smiled back at them, and winked at her cousin. Anya was stunned; Lexa was smiling, like freely smiling, not just for appearance and she had even played along with them. Lexa, her baby cousin Lexa, the cold-hearted Lexa, was smiling and laughing with people she barely knew.
Anya then took a look at Blondie ; the girl was smiling too, and Anya noticed how Lexa and her never stopped throwing small smiles and tender looks at each other, watching over everything Ayden was doing or saying. Anya didn’t know how the conversation had gone between her cousin and Clarke, although she was guessing they were definitely on good terms.
Lexa was focused on explaining to Ayden how to eat without dropping food on his t-shirt and Octavia took the occasion to get closer to Clarke.
“Hey, Clarke” Octavia said.
“Hi Octavia, thanks for letting Anya and Lexa come here earlier” Clarke smiled, her eyes never leaving the brunette and her son.
“It was nothing”, Octavia nodded. “Did she explain the whole situation to you?”
“Yes, she has” Clarke confirmed.
“So…? Do we have to move out? What’s the plan?” Octavia asked, too curious to wait. Clarke didn’t seem sad nor angry; it could only mean things were going to be ok, right?
“There’s no plan”, Clarke smiled again “We are going to stay here. Lexa will have to put some desks on the other floors though, but we can stay here. And Lexa is going to take care of this building.”
“She's what?” Octavia’s eyes widened, because it seemed way too beautiful to be true.
“That’s the truth. She owns the building now, so she is going to restore it and put some of Coalition Corp’s business in Arcadia, but we can all stay here” Clarke said, still smiling.
“That’s…cool”, Octavia said, and then noticed what Clarke had kept saying, “Clarke…you are saying we in your explanations. Does that mean…?” Octavia trailed off, not really knowing if it was a great idea to ask Clarke if she was going to come back live here.
“I’ll stay with Lexa” Clarke précised, “because I don’t know, I…I feel like I belong with her, you know what I mean?”
Octavia nodded, waiting for Clarke to continue.
“But hum, Lexa asked me if I’d like to come live here like, during weekends… And I said yes. I miss you guys”. Clarke’s smile was growing even bigger as Octavia was quickly hugging the blonde.
“Oh Clarke that’s so cool! Whatever you want! It’s going to be great to have you around again, I’ve missed it” Octavia confessed.
Clarke smiled again, and didn’t notice Lexa watching her silently. When Lexa saw Clarke smiling and hugging Octavia, she knew she had made the right decision with asking the blonde to come live here on some days. Not that Lexa was particularly thrilled with the idea – I mean, Lexa would rather have Clarke and Ayden at her place, just the three of them –but she knew her friends were important to Clarke, and she wouldn’t be the one to keep her away from them.
Then, Bellamy came walking through the door, a confused look on his face when he noticed all the people in his apartment. Most of all, he was surprised by Lexa’s and Anya’s presence; what were those two doing here? Did something happen to Clarke? Then, he spotted Octavia and Clarke chatting, and was relieved to see his best-friend. He got closer to her, ruffling Ayden’s hair on his way.
“Hey Clarke" the older Blake said, “What are you doing here?” Bellamy said. Of course he wanted to ask if the reason Clarke was here was because she was moving in again, but he didn’t ask. He didn’t want Clarke or Octavia or anyone yelling at him, and keeping him from seeing his best friend, did he? Octavia left them to great Lincoln, who had just arrived too.
“Hi Bellamy, back from work already?” Clarke answered, lightly squeezing his arm as a greeting.
Bellamy nodded, sighing at the same time. “Yeah, tiring day. I’m working with incapables”.
Clarke smiled back at him. She knew sometimes his job was hard. “Ayden was getting bored with being stuck inside, so we came over here to say hello” the blonde said, answering Bellamy’s question.
If Clarke noticed the drop in Bellamy’s shoulders when he understood they weren’t moving in, she didn’t show it.
“But, hum… I’m going to be around, every weekend, I think” Clarke added, carefully studying Bellamy’s face to see his reaction.
His brows frowned, because he didn’t understand. “What?”
“Lexa suggested we live here during weekends, to be closer to you guys. And I agreed.” Clarke explained.
Bellamy’s eyes shot open, “Oh! That’s great news! Cool!”
And Clarke laughed, as Bellamy's excitation was funny to see. Clarke had her eyes focused on Bellamy, a big smile on her face as they were chatting a little more. But if Clarke had turned her head around to look at Lexa, she would have seen the brunette’s face, who was apparently not thrilled by those two chatting together. Nah, Lexa wasn’t jealous of Bellamy, he was just a good friend of Clarke.
But was he really? I mean, Lexa couldn’t deny there was some chemistry between them, it was so obvious it was hurting Lexa’s eyes. She knew Clarke didn’t want anything with Bellamy other than friendship but come on, he had only eyes for her, chatting with her like he was her world’s centre, and did he just put his hand on Clarke’s arm? Lexa was so fuming inside that she didn’t even register Anya sitting next to her, patting her back, making her jump in surprise.
“Calm down Commander”, Anya said with a smirk, “your girl isn’t going anywhere”.
Lexa huffed, because it wasn’t funny at all and she was pissed at Anya for making jokes about it. Or maybe she was just pissed at seeing Clarke and Bellamy interact together.
“First of all she is not my girl, and it’s not like you’re undressing Raven with your eyes either” Lexa shot back at her cousin, making Anya choke on air. Two can play this game Lexa thought, smirking internally at her flustered cousin.
“I’m not, I don’t… Besides, there’s nothing between Raven and I” Anya said to defend herself, “I’m not the one spending every night, sleeping in the same bed with the girl I’m crushing on not to mention kissing her all over her face”.
It’s was Lexa’s turn to choke on nothing. “I’m not crushing on… How do you know I’ve kissed Clarke anyway?”
“I didn’t” Anya shrugged with a smirk, “you just confirmed my theory”.
“Whatever” Lexa huffed at her cousin, “don’t look so full of yourself. You have a crush on Raven too”.
Anya sighed, because this was maybe true, and the two of them were so screwed.
The Sun was going down and it was now time for Clarke, Ayden Anya and Lexa to go back home. Everyone said goodbye to each other -Lexa and Clarke didn’t miss how Anya took extra long saying goodbye to Raven-. Anya took them all back to Lexa’s place before heading to her own.
Lexa unlocked the door, removing her shoes, smiling when she saw Ayden doing the same with his tongue stuck out of his mouth in concentration to not fall.
Ayden went to play with his toys while Lexa and Clarke were heading to the kitchen to make dinner. Lexa was glad as she had noticed Clarke following her to help her, as if everything was normal and usual. Although Lexa was still a little bothered by the “Bellamy matter”, and Clarke noticed the brunette wasn’t as open and smiley as usual.
“Lexa?” the blonde asked.
“Hm?” Lexa said, focusing on the meal she was preparing.
“What is bothering you?” Clarke asked, worried she had done something wrong.
Lexa shrugged, of course she didn’t want to explain to Clarke she was jealous of her best friend, “nothing”.
Clarke obviously didn’t buy it, she got closer to the brunette, leaning on the counter so Lexa could look her in her eyes.
“I’m sorry if I’ve done something wrong” Clarke said with a bit of sadness in her voice, “but I can’t improve myself if you don’t tell me what the problem is...”
And Lexa chuckled; of course Clarke would think it was her fault. “It’s not you Clarke, it’s…” Lexa sighed, and stopped cutting the vegetables, completely turning herself towards Clarke.
“I… I may have not liked seeing Bellamy so close to you earlier” Lexa confessed, murmuring, too afraid she was going to scare Clarke away.
Clarke’s brows rose; she was not expecting this. “Bellamy and I? But there’s nothing between Bell...”
“I know” Lexa sighed, cutting the blonde off, “but I can’t help it, it’s like, like whenever I see you two, I just...” Lexa trailed off, throwing her arms in the air in frustration.
“You’re jealous” Clarke stated, a tiny smile growing on her lips.
“No I’m... Maybe. Yes” Lexa said, looking down in defeat.
She heard Clarke chuckle, and didn’t know why, ‘cause there was nothing funny about the situation and Lexa didn’t even know if she had the right to be jealous. She knew her and Clarke were more than friends but that was all and... Clarke put her arms around Lexa’s torso, taking her out of her thoughts.
“Bellamy is my best friend” Clarke murmured into Lexa’s neck, “he is a big part of my life but...”
Clarke kissed Lexa’s neck, sending shivers all over Lexa’s spine. “But I don’t think of him this way” she said with a final kiss on her neck, hoping Lexa would get the hint.
And the brunette did, she turned around to face Clarke. “I’m sorry” Lexa whispered, still a little ashamed of herself.
“Don’t be” Clarke said, lifting Lexa’s chin so she would look at her, “it’s ok. But you said I had to talk to you and let you help me” Clarke said, earning an interrogation look from Lexa, “but you have to open yourself up to me, too”.
And Lexa nodded; Clarke was right. She trusted her, and now it was Lexa’s turn to do the same; it couldn’t go one way. “I will” Lexa murmured, and Clarke snuggled herself into Lexa’s neck once more as the brunette put both her arms around the blonde.
They stayed like this for a couple of minutes, just holding each other, until Lexa had something in her mind. “Clarke?” Lexa whispered.
“Yes?”
“I know we did everything backwards, so I was wondering, hum, would you... Would you go on a date with me, some day?”
Clarke chuckled at how cute Lexa was right now, “Are you asking me if I would want to date you in the future, or go on a date next week?”
Lexa’s cheeks reddened. “Both?”
Clarke laughed this time, kissing Lexa quickly on the lips. “Yes, I would agree on going on a date with you. And maybe... Maybe I would also agree to date you”, Clarke added.
Lexa’s eyes shot open, a big smile growing on her lips, “you would?”
“Yeah, I mean, if you want that too” Clarke suddenly said, not so sure anymore, “like I know we are more than friends but I don’t...”
Clarke was cut off by Lexa's lips on hers. “I want that too” Lexa smiled, resting her forehead on Clarke’s.
“Ok” Clarke whispered.
“So, may I take you on a date in a few days?” Lexa asked.
“You may” Clarke laughed at the girl’s behaviour, pocking at her chest. Lexa laughed too, and their kiss was interrupted by Ayden tugging at their shirts.
“Is dinner ready? Mommy stop kissing Lexa, she has to make dinner!” The boy pouted, making the girls laugh even more.
The three of them finally made dinner, Lexa washed the dishes as Clarke was put Ayden to sleep in Lexa’s bedroom.
Lexa sat on the couch, turning the TV on waiting for Clarke. Lexa knew they still had a lot to talk about, but there wasn’t any rush. Well, there was with Finn’s trial and everything, but the brunette didn’t want to push Clarke to talk about this.
Clarke finally came out of the bedroom and sat next to Lexa, immediately installing herself on Lexa’s chest. If Lexa’s heart exploded by the gesture, Clarke didn’t notice.
“Lexa?” Clarke asked, Lexa looked down at her, “I think, maybe Ayden should get back to school”.
Lexa nodded and shrugged at the same time, “if you think so.”
Clarke raised a brow at the girl. “That’s all? What do you think?”
It was Lexa’s turn to be surprised, she didn’t think Clarke was asking for her thoughts about it, “I don’t know Clarke, it’s your decision to make, you are his mother”.
Clarke mumbled something.
“What was that?” Lexa asked, seeing as Clarke wasn’t going to repeat herself Lexa began to tickle the girl to make her talk. "Tell me what you said” Lexa asked again, amused at Clarke who was trying to avoid her fingers.
“ok ok I surrender” Clarke huffed with a smile back on her face, “I... I said I wanted us to make the decision together”, the blonde said in a whisper.
Lexa put her arms around Clarke, bringing her closer. “Why? It’s your decision to make, I’m not his mother, I will be ok with anything you decide!”
Clarke huffed again, burying herself more into Lexa’s embrace. “Clarke, we said we had to talk to each other” Lexa said.
“We are living with you, now. I just want you to be completely ok with this. I... I kind of want you to help me, with him, like hum, raising him and stuff...” Clarke trailed off, not sure if it was a good thing to continue talking.
Clarke wanted Lexa to be in Ayden’s life. After all, they were both living at her place, with her, they were a little family, and Clarke needed someone to make choices with her. She trusted Lexa and Ayden trusted her too, and it was hard to explain, but Clarke was feeling like Lexa should have something to say about Ayden.
Lexa’s heart was melting once again when she understood what Clarke was asking for. A sort of second parent. Not that Ayden didn’t already have two parents, but well we couldn’t say Finn was the father of the year, right?
“Ok then” Lexa said, drawing small circles on Clarke’s arms, “I think Ayden should indeed go back to school. I think he needs to go back into the world, to make friends his own age, you know? I don’t know where his previous school was, but we could look for a good one together, if you’d like”.
And Clarke sighed with relief; Lexa had understood. “I’d like that very much”.
Lexa smiled to the blonde who was fighting her sleep, kissing her forehead.
An hour later, Lexa carried Clarke to her bedroom, put her under the covers, and as she tried to remove her arms from under Clarke to go to sleep in the guest room, the still sleeping Clarke had tugged her into bed, snuggling in Lexa’s side in a second. Ayden had soon done the same thing, and Lexa had smiled at the two of them, soundly asleep and so, so cute. Lexa fell asleep shortly after, dreaming about Sundays with waffles, holidays and walks through the city, hand in hand.