Chapter 29
Lexa stood in the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water and trying to settle herself.
It was the hug that did it, she decided - or at least, that's where it started. It was in the kiss, that lingered just a second too long and in the way that Clarke had pulled her closer and held her there. The longer Lexa had stayed there, feeling the warmth of her body and breathing in everything that is Clarke, the more she felt it. It was in the way she kept pulling her closer and in the sound of her breathing. It was everything in those few moments that they had alone in that hallway. All of those things had set every nerve ending in her body on fire and she needed to extinguish them, now.
“Fuck,” Lexa whispered before she dried her face and went back out to to join her friends.
Entering the living room she found Raven and Anya lounging on the couch while they chatted with Bellamy who was laying lazily in a chair. She glanced into the next room and saw Jasper relaxing in a chair while he talked to someone on the phone. Crossing into the dining room she found Monty, Jake and Abby dealing out cards getting ready to start a game. “I’m in for the next hand,” she told them as she passed though, she could use a distraction.
Entering the kitchen Lexa found Lincoln and Octavia putting away the last of the dishes.
“Hey,” Octavia said as she looked up.
“Need any help?” Lexa asked quickly.
Lincoln shook his head. “Nope. We got it.”
Lexa gave them a nod and went back into the the dining room to wait for the next hand to start. Clarke had appeared and had taken up residence next to Monty. She appeared to be whispering tips on how to beat her parents into his ear. Lexa smirked as she sat down next to Abby.
“Are you hear to give me tips on how to beat my daughter?” Abby asked her.
Lexa grinned. “I’m afraid, I can't do that,” she told her.
Abby feigned offense. “Then away with you, child,” she said waving her hand dramatically.
Lexa laughed as she got up and moved to the head of the table. She couldn't let anyone think that she was actually going to help Clarke.
Glancing up, she found Clarke's eyes focused directly on her, there was something familiar in them. She smirked as if she had a secret and then whispered something to Monty. Lexa’s eyes narrowed playfully as she got up and went into the living room, she knew it was going to be a long hand.
As Lexa dropped herself down into a chair, a sighed escaped her.
“You alright, squirt?” Anya asked her quickly.
“I'm fine,” Lexa told her. Yep. Totally fine.
“Where's Clarke?” Raven asked her.
Lexa pointed to the dining room. “Helping Monty beat Jake and Abby in cards,” she answered.
Raven laughed. “Shit, they won't stand a chance.”
Lexa shook her head. “But, they will keep on trying,” she grinned.
“They will,” Raven agreed. “They always do.”
The four of the laughed. It was true. Clarke had become quite the card shark and Jake and Abby had been trying to beat her for years.
It wasn't long before Clarke came sauntering into the living room and plopped herself right down on to Lexa's lap. “He won, didn't he?” Lexa asked, already knowing the answer.
“Of course he did,” Clarke said as she adjusted herself. “Then they kicked me out.”
“Do you blame them?” Lexa asked as she moved herself under Clarke's added weight.
“Nope,” Clarke shook her head. “Hey, when you got it, you got it,” she shrugged rather smugly.
“Truth.” Lexa nodded as Clarke began to fiddle with the neck of her shirt.
“Lexa, are you playing?” Jake suddenly called from the dining room.
Hell yes. Lexa made a move to get up but Clarke stilled her. “No, stay,” she told her. “You're so comfy.”
Lexa wanted to object, she did, but she couldn't. Everything in her body screamed for her to stay right where she was, so she did. “I’m good,” she called back to him.
So not good.
“How about we all change into something more comfy and watch a movie?” Raven suggested as she got to her feet.
“Sounds good to me,” Clarke's nodded.
“I'm in.” Anya said as she stood up.
“Yeah,” Bellamy agreed. “I'll tell everyone else.”
As everyone made there way to different rooms to change, Lexa found herself back in the bathroom, yet again, splashing cold watering her face. “Knock it off,” she told herself in the mirror.
By the time she came out, Clarke was already changed and back in the living room, so she slipped into Clarke's room and quickly changed into a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. As she made her way back into the living room her eyes fell on Clarke who had changed into something very similar to what she was wearing and was waiting patiently for her on the couch. As Lexa sat down, Clarke threw a blanket over the two of them and nuzzled into her side, “You always smell so good,” she told her.
“Soap and water,” Lexa responded with a sharp nodded,
“Smart ass.” Clarke pinched her side, but it was barley a pinch. In fact, it was done in such a manner that it left Lexa with only two thoughts. Either Clarke was really oblivious to what she was doing or, her best friend was actually trying to kill her.
The movie that Raven chose was, for the most part, uneventful and by the time that it ended Lexa was quite surprised to find that Clarke had managed to make it through the entire thing without falling asleep.
“Okay people,” Raven said as she got to her feet and stretched. “I'm done.”
“Me too,” Bellamy yawned.
“Uh uh,” Jasper mumbled from the floor where his eyes were already closed.
As everyone slowly made their way off to their designated sleeping areas, Lexa stretched out on the couch, her spot after all, and unlocked her phone. Immediately she frowned, her battery was just about dead, and her charger? That was in her bag, which, was still sitting in Clarke's room.
Well, shit.
Quietly Lexa made her way down the hallway and lightly tapped on Clarke's door. "Yeah?” Clarke's muffled voice floated from the other side.
“Sorry,” Lexa told her as she stepped into the dimly lit room. “I just need my charger.”
“No problem” Clarke replied from the edge of the bed where she was sitting
Lexa dug around in her bag for a few minutes until she found what she was looking for, then quietly made her way back to the door.
“You don't have to sleep on the couch, you know?” Clarke told her. “My bed is huge.”
“I don't mind it,” Lexa shrugged.
“You could stay,” Clarke suggested again as she got up and walked forward.
Fuck.
Lexa took a deep breath. “Clarke, I…”
“Lexa.” Clarke cut her off, her voice low and raspy.
Lexa turned her head slightly, her eyes finding Clarke’s, they were dark with something that was all too familiar. Something that gave her a moment of clarity and took her back to an unspoken understanding from a long time ago. It was okay.
No more thinking.
Lexa stepped forward, her hand quickly moving to the back of Clarke’s neck as she pulled her close, bringing their lips together for the first time in years. A moan escaped Clarke as she rolled her body forward, grabbing needfully at her shoulders and neck. The feeling of Clarke's unbound body against hers was warm and amazing – it felt perfect. A tremor moved through Lexa's body as Clarke's teeth gently tugged on her lower lip asking for an entrance, which she instantly granted her. Clarke's tongue slipped forward effortlessly, teasingly and the sensation that it sent through Lexa was almost more than she could stand.
Too long, that was the only thought, as Lexa hooked her hands beneath Clarke's thighs and hoisted her up. Clarke gasped at the friction between them and the warmth against Lexa’s belly told her that it had apparently been a long night for her too.
“You knew,” Lexa accused her as she led them blindly toward the bed.
Once on the mattress Clarke easily flipped them over, straddling Lexa's waist and discarding her shirt. Yep, unbound. She stayed like that for a moment, her blue eyes locked with Lexa's, darkened with want and need. Gently she rocked her hips forward as she leaned down. “Of course I knew,” she panted softly, before bringing their lips together again.
Far too fucking long.