Green Eyed Green Beret

Clarke slides in bed behind Lexa who is massively hungover from the night before and wraps her arm around her. Clarke’s knee bumps just below her butt as Lexa slides from her sleep slowly becoming aware of what is happening. Immediately she freezes and stiffens as Clarke presses to her back. Her eyes fly open and she doesn’t know what to do. Panic is running through her brain. It’s Clarke, she knows it is. She can smell the lavender and coconut shampoo and the sweet smelling perfume, the mens deodorant. But it’s still pulling her into a fit of panic. What happened last night that Clarke is sleeping in my bed? What did we do? Why is she here? What did I do? She notices she has on a sports bra and her favorite basketball shorts not at all what she was wearing the night before when Anya was over.

“Lexa?” Her muscles are still stiff as Clarke leans away from her moving her arm draped around her stomach to rub her arm resting above the blankets. She turns her head over her shoulder to look at the blonde, blue eyes wide taking in her expression. The room is bright with the morning sun and she only groans in response at the raging headache slowly spreading to the rest of her body instead of the thousands of questions she wants to ask.

Clarke slides out of the bed and around to the other side to face Lexa she sits on the edge of the bed and brushes her hair from the side of her face. Lexa notices she’s wearing one of her t-shirts and a pair of her old sweats. If she wasn’t so concerned with the happenings of last night or still a little panicked by the feeling of someone behind her she’d smile at the sight despite her ensuing hangover. “Clarke?” She wasn't with her when the night started..

“You don’t remember last night, do you?” She just looks wide eyed at the girl in front of her pulling the blanket up to cover her scar riddled body. “It’s ok. Nothing happened.” She pulls her hand back from where it was moving the hair from Lexa’s face. “You text me as I was getting off my shift at the hospital and I came over. Your directions were a little difficult to follow.”

“Oh, no.” She blushes and presses her head into her pillow. “You didn’t have to come, It’s not like - “ we’re dating or anything. What are we?  “I’m so sorry. You don’t get enough sleep any way as it is…”

“I’m glad you text me. Taking care of you was more important. You were having a pretty rough night.” Oh, no. No, no, no. “Remember anything?”

“No.” But she had an idea. She remembers being upset after talking to Anya about Gus and knew it was the anniversary of her father’s death she’d been ok about that for years but this year in particular had been rather… difficult… No, this was not good at all.  She just hoped it didn’t get too intense to scare Clarke away.

Her stomach churns and her head starts to spin. She’s been drunk enough times to know what happens soon after. She throws the blankets off of her and gets to the bathroom just in time to throw up in the toilet. Kneeling in front of the porcelain hugging her arms around it as her body tries to rid itself of the poison her eyes begin to water.

Soft hands run circles over her back and hold her hair from her neck as they tie it expertly in a bun on the back of her head. She leaves Lexa sitting over the toilet for a moment to find Advil, some other pill from her purse and a gatorade. “Take these. Drink this.” Her body stiffens as she loses the rest of the contents of her stomach into the toilet. After a moment Clarke hands the goods over and Lexa does what she’s told. “I may be able to have Nyko bring over a banana bag. Knock that hangover right out.” She smiles as her hands return to rubbing small circles on her back.

Lexa’s eyes go wide at the suggestion. Nyko is basically her big brother and no matter how old she is she doesn't really want the semi-lecture or the worried look. “No. God no. Please, please, don’t call Nyko.”

The blonde crouched behind her only chuckles as she helps her up. “Alright.” She hands her a towel to wipe her mouth as she leads her to the kitchen pausing a moment to let her brush her teeth. “Com’on let’s get some food in you.”

She grabs her favorite old crewneck from off the floor and slides it over her head as she follows the blonde. “D-don’t you have to be at the hospital soon?” Lexa says checking her empty wrist for the time. Where is my watch?

“Nope. Got the day off. No EMT shift either. And you’ll be happy to know I quit the gas station. So your hungover ass is stuck with me.” She grins again as she makes sure Lexa is in one of the bar stools by the island. Clarke opens drawers until she finds bread she immediately pops in the toaster and finds the coffee stuff and gets a pot going. “How you feeling?”

“Like I drank to much.” She groans and lays her head down on the counter onto of crossed arms. She’s fine with forgetting last night and continuing with spending time with Clarke, no matter how shitty she feels.

Clarke laughs and shakes her head in the corner of her vision. “Maybe a little.” She pushes a glass of water at her, not having to tell her to drink. “Do you have stuff for omelets?” She opens the fridge which is usually sparse but now full from Anya making sure Lexa had enough food. She does that sometimes. Lexa used to get mad at her for it - she could take care of herself but she learned to let it happen. It made Anya feel better that she could do that for her so she let it slide.

“You cook?” She can practically feel Clarke’s smiling gaze at her as she deals with the headache from her detoxing body.

“I dabble.”

“Eggs are on the middle shelf. There is bacon and sausage in the bottom drawer, ham and turkey in the other one. Cheese is in the same drawer as the lunch meet.”

“Veggies?”

Lexa lifts her head from the table enough to look at the blonde bent over in the fridge and twists her face. “Gross, no.”

Clarke is laughing again as she pulls the meat from the fridge and gets it started in a skillet. “You’re telling me, Miss Fit, doesn’t eat her vegetables?”

“Yep. Can’t do it.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You sound like Anya.”

“I knew I liked her.” The toast pops from the toaster a perfect golden brown. She spread butter over each piece before finding the blackberry jelly in the fridge and adding that to the top. How did she know?  She puts it on a plate in front of her, the bread sliding around the smooth surface as it’s pushed across the counter. “Eat.”

Clarke has returned to cooking the bacon and sausage for the omelets. She checks the cabinets for spices and returns with one that’s a red color. Lexa hadn’t cooked in a long time. She didn’t even know she had spices - Anya.

“Key to a good omelet is paprika and mozzarella.” She takes the plate now void of the bread save some crumbs and a smear of the jelly and puts the omelet on it sliding it to her from across the counter. The metal of a fork slides after it shortly. Before she knows it a cup of coffee is being poured in front of her as well. “How do you take your coffee?”

“Three spoons of Ovalteen and some french vanilla creamer.” The blonde quirks up an eyebrows. “What? It’s good. Don’t knock it till you try it.” She takes a bite of her eggs that smell delicious as they taste by the way. “Mmmmm. These are good.” The best omelet she’s probably ever had and she loved omelets.

“Told you I can cook.” Clarke smirks at her over her shoulder.

“Eggs hardly count as cooking. I can even do eggs.”

“Says the girl who lives off grilled chicken, boxed soup, Dinosaur Eggs, and coffee.”

“How?” Clarke just shrugs her shoulders playfully. “If it was Nyko I’ll kick his ass.”

“Shut up and eat your damn eggs.” She laughs as she finishes making her own and leans on one elbow against the island across from Lexa eating as she eats with the other - she’s a lefty Lexa notes in her mind. She watches the brunette with a smile as she eats. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, actually, thanks.” She takes the empty plate from her hand and rinses it before putting it in the dishwasher. This girl is awesome. Wife her up. Gus’s voice plays in the back of her mind. When he teased Nyko about a girl who cooked for him - one who wasn’t Anya. Lexa takes a moment to remind herself to slow down. They were still just getting coffee and being friends, they hadn’t so much as really even held hands yet. Though apparently they had cuddled. “Really you don’t have to stay. You can go rest if you want. I’m sure you don’t get many days off. I’m really sorry I text you last night.”

“Lexa, quit apologizing.” A still wet hand finds hers across the counter and gives it a small squeeze. “I’m really glad you did. Aaannddd I already told you,” She points at her with a soapy spatula she used to cook the eggs “you’re not getting rid of me today. I don’t get many days off and if it’s ok with you I’d like to spend it here. Resting and being lazy with you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I think that’s ok.” She smiles at the blonde pretty glad she is so forward. The day with Clarke sounds nice. They’ve only gone to coffee a few times and chatted at the hospital some but this will be good. 

“Good.” Clarke concedes following the girl into the living room where she sits on the floor against a char. Her second cup of coffee full and mug pressed to her face just below her nose taking in the warmth. “There is a chair and a couch you know. You don’t have to sit on the floor.”

“I like it.” The girl shrugs but Clarke is a little disappointed the brunette didn't pick up on the hint. She does though, like sitting on the floor, she always has. Nyko and Anya are the only reason she has furniture really. She can feel Clarke watching her as she turns on the TV and flips to Sports Center from Mike and Mike before realizing Clarke may not like sports. “Anything you want to watch?”

“No this is fine. Not surprising at all either.” She chuckles and shakes her head as Lexa looks over her shoulder.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a jock. Lexa. A cute jock, but a jock.”

“Oh?”

“Not a bad thing.” She holds up her hands in surrender. “You coach basketball, you work out constantly, and you played basketball at West Point. I’m pretty sure your entire closet is shorts, sweats, t-shirts and either quarter zips or hoodies. And I’m also fairly confident the only skirt you own is from your dress blues.”

“We don’t have skirts anymore but point noted. And I do have on a crew neck at the moment so you’re missing a key part to the Lexa wardrobe.” She can’t help but smile. “Wait you’ve seen me in other clothes right?”

Clarke shakes her head and laughs at the concern “Nope. Coffee is always on your way to practice or the range and when you brought one of your girls to the hospital you had just come from practice, or that one morning when you were running late.”

“I think we’ll have to change that. When is your next night off? I’ll take you on a proper date.”

“Really?” She quips. “Sure you’re ready to move past shitty coffee breaks at the hospital?”

“First they’re not shitty - the coffee’s not that bad and I get to spend time with you. Second, yeah, only if you are though…”

“That’s actually really sweet. I enjoy our time together too.” Clarke slides down on the couch laying on her side so that her arm can fall over the side of the couch and hug the brunette. The blonde is still quite sleepy.

“Going soft one me?” The girl on the floor chuckles as she tilts her head back to rest on the top of the couch cushion and glance up at Clarke’s big blue eyes.

“Way to ruin the moment - you’re the softie anyway.” Clarke gives her a gentle squeeze and Lexa puts the remote down beside her hip, stretching her legs out straight where they were bent up and places her hands on Clarke’s soft forearm across her upper chest. She bends her head sideways to where the blonde’s hand rests on her shoulder and touches her lips to the back of the girl’s knuckles. It’s not a kiss but it might as well be.

“Lies.”

Lexa feels a nose and chin press to the back side of her shoulder just as she did with Clarke’s knuckles. “Keep telling yourself that, babe.” The two both freeze at the use of the pet name. Sure girls call each other babe all the time but this was just a little different. Not in the slightest plutonic. Lexa runs her thumbs along Clarke’s warm forearm still around her, where she held it after Clarke twitched away in panic of what slipped out of her mouth. “I- I’m uh - that just slipped out.”

“Pet names and real dates? Looks like we’re making progress, yeah?” Lexa touches her lips to the backs of the girls hand again. She didn’t want to admit that the other day when she was talking to Lincoln at the range before she left for coffee she almost called Clarke her girlfriend. So, getting called babe in the privacy of her apartment, especially by Clarke was not so bad. Not so bad at all. “Clarke, it’s ok. I don’t mind.”

“I mean we did sleep together after all.” Clarke chuckles past her initial embarrassment. This time it’s Lexa who’s tongue gets caught in her throat. Her ears are set on fire as she tries to fight off the embarrassment in the back of her mind. Not that Clarke slept next to her but the mention of sex. But her heart feels a little lighter at the realization that she’s not grossed out or mortified like when Anya talks about it. In time, she wouldn’t mind taking that step with Clarke. Actually she hopes it is Clarke.

“So, what’s the plan? Be lazy all day?”

“I was hoping, if that’s alright with you?”

“I’d say it’s pretty ok.” She smiles and drops Clarke’s arm as she stands up. Her back protests the whole way and her hip aches as she takes a step toward the table. Maybe not the floor today, idiot. “I have some scouting to do though - if you don’t mind basketball.”

“Not at all.” Lexa is bent over and placing the first dvd into the television. Standing is a little difficult again but she manages. Clarke scoots backward on the couch so she presses against the back rest and Lexa sits down near her hips, pulling the coffee table forward as she pulls out stats and notes from other teams. Clarke’s warmth at her back is a welcome presence as she presses play on the remote. Eventually she feels the girls breathing slow and even out against her back as the second half starts. She slept through the entire first video, out cold. Lexa contemplated checking her pulse at one point, the blonde slept like she was dead. She could get used to this.

Lexa hadn’t seen Clarke prop her head up on her elbow and turn to watch her but when gentle fingers start to stroke down her back she glances to the side to see a smiling blonde, big blue eyes and all. “Nice nap?”

“Great nap.” Her stomach rumbles against Lexa’s back and the brunette lets out a chuckle. “Lunch?”

Lexa shifts sideways to face the blonde a little more as she puts down her notes. Clarke’s arm falls from the gentle zigzags she was tracing across the crewneck’s cotton but her hand rests at Lexa’s hip, not holding it - not quite - but it was there, just resting. “I could eat.” Her own hand finds itself tucking a loose wave of blonde hair behind the girl’s ear.

Clarkes hips slide toward her head as she sits up. “I’ll make lunch, you keep scouting.”

“I can help. I’m not that bad at cooking you know.” Lexa stands to follow the woman who was heading into the kitchen.

“I know. I want to though, and you’re cute when you’re all focused. Let me take care of it.” Lexa smiles as her stomach flutters and she sits back on the couch. The second half of the game is just wrapping up as Clarke sits down next to her placing a plate and a glass of water down with two more Advil. “Bon a’petite.”

“Smells delicious.” Lexa leans down to pick up the golden toasted bread that has cheese spilling from the sides.

“My specialty - loaded grilled cheese.” Lexa takes a bite and gooey cheesy goodness stings away from the sandwich as she pulls it from her mouth. Bacon and turkey flavors compliment the grilled cheese perfectly.

She’s taking another bight as Clarke takes her first. “Oh-mw-god. This is so good.” She mumbles through a mouth full of food.

“Glad you like it.” The blonde chuckles before the two finish their lunches in silence partially because Lexa is too focused on the food to talk and partially because this is just comfortable. As Lexa takes the final bite Clarke stacks their plates and places the Advil in Lexa’s hand. “Take those. They’ll help with your back.”

“My-“ back is fine. She wanted to say but Clarke shoots her a knowing look.

“I’m not stupid, Lexa. Just take them, okay?” Lexa obeys but not without muttering a yes mom into he hand as she tosses the pills into her mouth. “How much more do you have left to do?”

“I’m done actually. You slept through it all, I didn’t know basketball was that boring.” She teases as she leans into the girl beside her to nudge her off balance. “Golf however, that’s what I put on if I want to take a nap.”

“Hey, now. I like golf.” Clarke pouts a little as she lets a breathy laugh press through her exhale.

“And I like you.” What. Why. Lexa. Why.

“You’re a dork. Super corny. Sure you never lived in Indiana or something?”

“And I’m corny?”

“The corniest actually.” The two are looking at each other now close enough it’d be quite possible to lean just a little bit and kiss the blonde. Her stomach starts to flip and she glances down at Clarke’s lips before looking back into the soft blue eyes. Lexa cheeks grow warm as she looks away as her head talks her heart out of it.

You’re 27. You are allowed to kiss the woman you have feelings for. Clarke doesn’t look disappointed though, just understanding. How could she possibly know what Lexa was thinking? But she did, and she also wanted to kiss the brunette but she wouldn’t force it. Clarke had sensed the hesitation.

Lexa returns the dirty plates to her sink giving a moment between their almost - probably should have been - kiss. When she appears back in the living room a large yawn passes the blonde’s sleepy features as she rubs her eyes with the heal of her hand. “You can go back to sleep, Clarke. Naps count as being lazy.”

“You look tired too. Cuddle?”

“I’m not big on the cuddling thing, but I guess I can make an exception for you.” Clarke shakes her head at the brunette standing over her. Ok, Lexa did kinda really enjoy cuddling Clarke. “Scoot.”

Lexa lays down on the couch getting comfortable and opens her arms for Clarke who lays down onto of her near the backrest part of the couch. “Mmmm, you’re comfier then I thought.” She nuzzles her nose into the crook of Lexa’s neck and wiggles to get closer. “Is this ok?”

“This is-this is nice.” She sighs sinking further into the couch which only makes Clarke form closer to her. It was uncomfortable at first for her but after a moment of getting used to Clarke’s weight on top of her and really relaxing the aches and uncomfortable feeling in her body just disappeared and were replaced by a fluttery feeling in her chest. This is really nice. 

The blonde’s legs tangle with Lexa’s as their feet naturally intertwine. Lexa grabs the remote off the coffee table and turns the TV back on after flipping through channels when she lands on a rerun of McHail’s Navy that was just starting. Her and Anya loved this movie when they were younger but the idiot forgot to put it in the case one time and ruined the thing.

Clarke lifts her head a moment to check what she put on and a laugh rumbles in Lexa’s side as the blonde’s breath tickles her cheek. “Seriously? I loved this movie as a kid.”

Lexa laughs silently at the girl tucking back into her side. “It’s pretty bad.”

“It is, but that makes it so much better.”

The brunette turns and presses the side of her cheek into the younger woman’s forehead as she sighs. “So glad we agree.”

“You just might be the girl of my dreams if you keep this up, Lexa Woods.” She jokes softly as she starts to fall back asleep and Lexa’s stomach is doing all those weird things again as her heart speeds up in her chest.

“You’d have to sleep for that.”

“Mmmm, trying.” The blonde lets out a small squeaky yawn against Lexa’s collar bone. It’s maybe two minutes before her breathing evens out, the gentle rise and fall of her chest pressing into Lexa’s side and the breath warm and sweet against her neck. It isn’t long after that before she follows Clarke into a deep nap.

Lexa wakes up to the end credits of the movie. Lt. Carpenter is getting a medal pinned to her chest but the old man is too weirded out by her chest to do it so he just hands it to her. There’s a figure though standing over her so she tilts her head upward to meet Anya’s eyes. Shit.

Lexa bends her arm up from where it was resting across her abdomen fingertips just at the slightly risen hem of Clarke’s shirt and presses it to her lips warning Anya to be quiet. Clarke’s still out and she desperately needs the sleep as much as the blonde doesn’t want to admit it.

Her older sister is smiling softly down at the pair on the couch. “Do you need anything? Was just coming over to check on you.” She whispers

“No,” Lexa glances at the blonde who is sound asleep on her shoulder, drool dampening the grey sweatshirt and everything. “I think I’m good right here. When did you get here?”

“Five minutes. Started your dishwasher. McHale’s Navy?”

“She’s seen it, and she loved it.” Anya sits down on the chair’s foot rest to talk for a moment before heading out. She loves seeing Lexa like this and she really hopes she’ll stay. All Anya knows is that this blonde is changing Lexa’s world for the better.

“Sounds like a keep’er.”

“Yeah, I think so. I’ve got it bad Ayn.”

A whisper of a laugh comes from the older brunette. “No shit, Sis?” Lexa sticks her tongue out at her in her best hope of a defense. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Thanks Ayn.”

“Anytime, dork. Take care of her, yeah?” 

“I intend too.”

“Good girl. See you tomorrow, Lex. Text if you need anything.”

“Yes ma’am.” Lexa nods back to her sister as she hears her step out of the door.

It isn’t till then she notices Clarke has shifted and her breathing changed. “She could have stayed you know.”

“Yeah, but I see her almost every day. This is rare. Next time?”

“Deal.” She lays her head back down for a second “Got it bad, huh?”

Lexa’s heart skips about a million beats. Shit, she was awake - no getting out of this one. “Yeah.”

“You want to take care of me?” Clarke asks quietly with out much teasing in her voice.

“I do.” Lexa swallows hard. Nice going idiot. Next time don’t talk about the girl if she’s literally laying on your chest.

Clarke shifts again to straddle the brunette’s hips and she leans forward a bit. Her smile is so soft and just happy, as though Lexa’s words just melted her. “How did I get so lucky?” Which leaves Lexa gulping for a whole new reason. The blush on Clarke’s cheeks tells it all and it’s Lexa this time who is utterly smitten. The afternoon sun is shining through her window illuminating the blonde locks falling gently around Clarke’s shoulders - Lexa hadn’t noticed she took it down. Her eyes resemble the sea, inviting, calming, and holding so much more beauty just below the surface. She almost looks like she’s glowing.

The golden goddess starts leaning forward slowly and her eyes dart from Lexa’s down to the woman’s lips and back as she gets closer pausing far enough away for Lexa to stop her. Is this ok? Lexa nods slightly giving the blonde permission. Clarke’s smile widens before she leans in close enough the two are sharing air. Their noses touch and Lexa tilts her chin up just a little so their lips can finally meet. Her stomach is going crazy, her heart is having some sort of an aneurysm or something and she gets lost in the soft touch of Clarke’s lips on hers. She almost forgets to breathe.

Her hands find their way to Clarke’s hips as the blonde supports herself with one next to her head while the other slides under Lexa’s neck. Lexa didn’t think anything this blissful existed in the world anymore. Clarke’s lips are so tender on hers, searching, praising, loving. Every god damn adjective Lexa can think of, which with the way her brain is hardly functioning right now isn’t all that many.

Clarke pulls away for a moment and a sigh of “wow” falls off of Lexa’s lips. She expects a joke but the blonde answers with another soft kiss, shorter the the first which wasn’t long but Lexa isn’t complaining. Clarke lays back down tucking into the spot they just spent the last hour and a half or so.

“I’ve got it pretty bad too.”

The pair decide on pizza for dinner, meat lovers thin crust, Clarke gets mushrooms on half and Lexa doesn’t mind in the slightest. She can have what ever she likes. Neither of them want to say good bye at the end of the night but Clarke has pre-rounds and Lexa has pt. This time when Clarke kisses her cheek good bye Lexa squeezes her a little tighter in the hug with promise of a real date and doing this again real soon.

Because, yeah, I’ve got it bad, is probably the understatement of the year.