Fancy-Smancy
It’s been almost a week since Clarke has seen Lexa and she is going a little stir crazy. They had been texting, even talked on the phone one early morning but not seeing the brunette was driving Clarke nuts. Octavia had commented on it more then once, Lincoln had pushed her about it too. Clarke knew he was good friends with Lexa, but she wasn’t sure if Lexa knew the connection. She doubted it the way she looked so surprised when Clarke knew some of her favorite things or things she hadn’t really shared yet. Lincoln was her secret weapon and she planned on taking full advantage.
Lexa had been out of town with the basketball team as they finished up their post season run. The night, that was really morning, when they talked on the phone was a few days ago. Lexa was incredibly competitive, Clarke was starting to pick up on that but she was nearly distraught, as close as Lexa could get to distraught, for the girls.They had worked so hard all year, and the seniors had played their last competitive game. That really sucked. At least basketball was one of those sports where pick up was possible to quench the thirst a little bit, not really like football or fastpitch. Clarke was lucky, she could go to a golf tournament anytime she needed to. Clarke things that might be the thing upsetting the other woman the most, is that a big part of these girls lives that she had gotten close with was now over. Lexa would never admit it but she was a true bleeding heart. Clarke was too but she didn’t hide it, she didn’t try to control it or run from it.
Lexa had asked her out and she was beyond excited the entire week for their plans but she was nervous Lexa would want to cancel and she wasn’t sure why. “For the love of god quit being stupid and just text her already. She’s not going to cancel.” Octavia throws up her hands from across the island in their kitchen as she watches Clarke sulk on the couch. “I haven’t seen her at the base all week. She’s been busy. Lincoln said she had some trainings early and has been doing come command stuff. You of all people should understand that.”
“I know it’s just we haven't -“ had coffee and she usually makes the effort to come see me. What if I screwed up by kissing her?
“Clarke. Just. Fucking. Text. Her.”
“She’s probably not awake. It’s 4:30.”
“You see, Griffin, how this texting thing works is the text stays on your phone with this little bubble till you look at it.” Her annoying ass roommate tosses a breakfast bar at Clarke, who glares at her as she picks the bar up from where it bounced to a halt on the couch cushion. “I bet she’s up by 5 anyway, so I’ll say it again. Text. Her.”
“But-“
“Fine then give me your phone and I’ll do it.” Clarke hugs the phone to her chest out of Octavia’s sight as she extends her hand motioning for Clarke to toss it to her.
“Ok. Ok. I’ll do it.” She concedes and begins typing. The last time Octavia text someone for her it ended very badly, with lots of embarrassment for Clarke and lots of explaining that didn’t entirely work. Octavia Blake would not be touching her phone anytime soon.
Clarke
We still on for our date tonight?
Lexa
Of course, pick you up at 7?
Clarke is surprised by the prompt response as the little text bubble thing appears on her screen before she can look away but then again not really. She knew Lexa got up early. She also knew Lexa did not sleep well and opted to get stuff done instead of laying awake in bed. Except with me, she slept with me.
Clarke
See you at 7 then :)
Lexa
See you at 7 then :)
Clarke
I didn’t wake you up did I?
Lexa
Nope. Couldn’t sleep.
Too excited for tonight :)
Clarke’s miserable attempt for a look of indifference as she worried shifts swiftly to a beaming smile. Two smiley faces from Lexa in less then 10 minutes, today would be a good day. Even if she was certain that the second one was covering up part of the reason she wasn’t sleeping - Clarke would talk to her about that tonight. “See... was that so hard?” Octavia walks past her into their shared bathroom to brush her teeth.
“Fuck off, O.” Clarke hip-checks her to one side of the sink so they could share. Perks of having O as a roommate, they were both on an entirely too early schedule so she had company in the morning. Cons’? She had company in the morning, specifically Octavia’s company. It was a love hate relationship between them really. (Or not, Clarke liked to pretend ok.) Her phone vibrates in her pocket as she starts running the brush over her teeth pausing with it in her cheek as she opens it.
Lexa
I hope you have a wonderful day,
Clarke. I am really looking forward
to tonight.
Octavia shoots her a teasingly smug look in the mirror. Clarke flips her off as she resumes brushing her teeth. She hated Octavia. She really did. Especially when she was right.
Clarke
Me too :)
and you too!
Clarke hands Octavia he bag as she hands Clarke a travel mug of coffee on their way our the door. “Link and I ‘ll be at his place tonight.” The feisty girl winks at her as they walk down the stairs. “You know just incase.”
The blonde cheeks and neck burn as she nearly trips down the steps. She hadn’t really though of that. Ok, she had, but this was a little different then thinking about it. This could actually happen, but she also knew something really freaked Lexa out so she doubted it would and Clarke was one hundred percent ok with that. Her stomach flips in anticipation and excitement and a hint of nerves. Ok, maybe more then just a hint. “She’s not like that, O.”
“Whatever, man. I’ll see you later. Try not to kill anyone.” She waves the back of her hand at the blonde as they part ways.
“Yeah, you either.” Clarke mutters their usual morning greeting as she walks deep in thought the few blocks to he hospital. Clarke always like the quiet of the morning, still dark, no one around. She was alone but not lonely like she often found herself in the dark of the night. The day held so much promise and Clarke couldn’t help but allow a little bounce to her step as she rounded the corner. The sunrise was always so beautiful, so quiet. It’s a shame really that it had to be so early, Clarke would watch it a lot more often if it wasn’t. Though now she guessed it didn’t matter because she was always up before the sun was anyway.
The day goes by all too slow and entirely too fast at the same time. She can’t wait for tonight but she can’t get over how nervous she is. You’ve been around her before. You’ve hung out. You’ve kissed. Quit being a pussy. Jackson shoots her looks all day as she ranges from entirely spaced out to overly chipper with the patients. Nyko also gives her warning glares all day having heard from Anya about the date, but she notices he is also oddly happy today. He even wishes her good luck as she leaves the hospital. So confusing.
As Clarke gets closer to home her heart starts beating faster in her chest, her hands start getting sweaty, her appetite goes out the window. She really has no idea how she’s going to eat tonight at dinner. Dinner. Shit. She has an hour and a half. She still has to shower, some how time her lion’s main of a head of hair, shave - god she better shave- pick out something to wear, do her make up. Clean her room a bit - just in case. Shit.
When she gets home Octavia is stepping from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. “Damn, you look like you’re about to go into full on finals mode. I haven’t seen you like this since college. Calm down.”
“Not now, O.” She walks into the bathroom and strips jumping into a already steam filled shower. She runs her hands through her hair trying to brush out the rats nest of a messy bun that was on top of her head all day and runs a razor swiftly over her legs muttering short ouches and strings of eloquent swearing as she nicks her skin.
“You really gotta relax. You’re stressing me out. Raven said she’d be her in 5 minutes to help.” Her friend is sitting on the toilet seat when she emerges from the shower hair a wet mess inside of the towel. The beach waves really got annoying sometimes. “Did you shave - you know?”
“OCTIVIA!” The annoying ass girl throws her hands up as Clarke wraps the towel around her waste and throws on a bra Octavia had placed on the counter for her with a matching thong. They had seen each other naked, it was old news by now. They’d been best friends since they were like 8 years old. “Should I? I mean it’s groomed-”
“I don’t know. Not really sure what girls like here Griff.” Clarke lens over the sink to get closer to the mirror as she plucks her eyebrows. “You’re the half lesbian. You tell me.”
“Bisexual, you ass.” The nearest object to her right hand, a tissue box, is slung across her body at her laughing asshat of a friend. “This is different.” She puts her hand down from tweezing and glances over at the shrugging girl still reclined on the porcelain as the door clicks shut in their living room.
“Should Clarke shave or no?” Octavia yells at the newly entered woman and the completion of other incredibly dangerous group. They had gotten into a lot of shit together, these three.
Raven makes the other girl share the toilet. “I mean as long as you're situated..”
“Yes, oh my god. I’m “situated”. I hate both of you. So much. I don’t have time for this.” She flexes her chin towards the mirror looking for a sign of a break out. She lets out a sigh of relief when she finds none. Dropping the towel she steps into the thong while the two are occupied looking at something on Raven’s phone.
“Damn. Good choice O.” The two tap knuckles as Raven voices her approval of the lingerie. “Navy really brings out her eyes.” Octavia takes an exaggerated bow from her seat on the toilet.
“How did you know I didn’t pick it out? I could have.” Clarke protests indignantly as she runs a towel over her hair trying to dry it further but only succeeding in locking her waives into a tangled mess. Raven only raises an eyebrow as Octavia laughs. “Have I mentioned I hate you?”
“Yeah, yeah. Old news.” She slides behind Clarke and starts to blow dry her hair while Octavia disappears to get her and Raven some wine. They tag team it as per usual. Raven on the hair, Octavia on the make up. Clarke was good at this stuff but the girls knew how exhausted she was and this routine was set in stone since college. The one on the date got done by the others because each of them were really no good at doing this shit when they were distracted. They hadn’t done this in awhile but it was easy. Natural. Clarke hadn’t realized how much she missed this.
“You guys are the best.” Clarke mutters as she views the final product in the mirror soft sweeping curls and elegant makeup.
“Again, old news.” Raven waves as she follows a still flustered Clarke into her bedroom, Raven and Octavia plopping down on her bed with little squeaks from springs as they bounce once on top of the mattress. They watch from the bed as Clarke stands with her hands on her hips in front of her closet, her hands shifting to run through her still damp curls before rummaging through her closet rapidly. “Calm down Griffin. Jesus. You’re stressing me out.”
Clarke glances back at them eyes wide and eyebrows creased in warning. “Told you.” Octavia mutters only to catch another glare. “Ok.” She stands and walks over to the closet and immediately grabs a long navy blue gown Clarke wore to an event for her mother once and shoves the hanger into the blonde’s chest before promptly returning to the bed. She raises her hands motioning for Clarke to put the damn thing on already.
“It’s not too..”
“No, she said it at that new five star place down town right?” Clarke nods. “It’s perfect. Link looked up some photos.” Clarke slides the dress on and turns for one of them to zip it up. After the back is done she turns and strikes a pose for the hell of it. Octavia lets out a low whistle as Raven nods in approval.
“We did good, O. Still got it.” She blows on her fingernails and buffs them off on her shoulder with a smirk. As octavia smacks her other extended hand in the most solid high five of the century.
“I’d do her.” The youngest of the three agrees and throws an aggressive wink toward her blonde best friend.
“You’re straight, fuck off.” She shifts her wight on her hip and grabs a the pair of heels she bought to go with the dress. “This isn’t about sex. We are taking things slow, it took nearly a month to even kiss.”
Raven puts the back of her newly buffed off hand on Clarke’s forehead. “Who are you and what have you done with Clarke? You sure you're feeling ok?”
“Stop. It’s not, ok? I really really like her. This is different.” She runs her hands over the dress smoothing the wrinkles but not her bundle of nerves.
“Yeah, yeah. You said that already.” The small brunette rolls to her back on the bed hanging her head off the side for a moment before sitting up with a grunt. Octavia completely understood just how different this was but she liked Clarke in this flustered state but also she could tell the more the blonde said it aloud the more confident she grew.
“O, I think this could be it for me. That’s how different.” She huffs out a deep breath blowing a curl from her face. Octavia had to note that that one was new, and she was a little surprised to hear it so soon. “I don’t want to screw this up.” Clarke holds two separate pairs of earrings to the side of her face as she contemplates which one.
“Right ones.” Both the girls leaning against each other on the bed decide as Clarke slides the agreed upon earrings into her lobes with a deep sigh.
“You’re not going to screw this up.” There’s a knock on the door and Clarke glances at the clock next to her bed 6:59. Shit.
God I hope not. Clarke mouths into the air, no audible breath passing her now glossed lips. She didn’t want to give the two idiots she has for best friends a chance to insert more jokes. “Ok. I’ll see you assholes tomorrow.”
“You kids have fun. Don’t be silly -.”
“-wrap the willy.” Octavia finishes.
“You have got to be kidding me.” She whispers as she walks to the door pretending not to hear the last comment. Neither of them even have anything close to a ‘willy’, and besides it’s the principal of the thing. Can’t they just believe her that nothing is going to happen and quit teasing her about it even if it were on the table. Clarke wasn’t even this nervous for her first time. I have got to get new friends.
Before she twists the knob she rotates her core turning back to her friends one last time. Her eyes fall on a gentle smile raising Raven’s cheeks not even in the slightest bit of an apology in her eyes. “You have nothing to worry about, Clarke. She wold be lucky to have you.” Do I really look ok?
//
Lexa takes a deep breath as she walks up to Clarke’s apartment wiping her clammy hands on the thighs of her dress Anya picked out. Lexa had been leery but decide she liked after she had put it on. Anya had helped her with her hair curling it so it gracefully laid on one of her shoulders swept to one side, and she had helped with her makeup too. Let me do it. The only makeup you can apply is war paint - Shut up, Anya.
She slowly reaches her hand up toward the door to knock, pausing a second to finalize her composure. You’ve got this. Just a date. It’s just a date. Her knuckles meet the hard wood three times quickly before she defaults and places them behind her back. Once Lexa realizes she should look more relaxed she moves them to the front of her waist. Shoulders back, head high, and a small smile teasing her cheeks as she waits for the blonde.
The door knob twists and Lexa finds herself holding her breath, which she probably should not have done considering the sight of the blue eyed beauty took her breath away. “Wow,” she mutters as her hand finds the back of her neck yet again. “Clarke, you.. you are beautiful.”
The blonde’s tension held momentarily in her shoulders is released as she smiles into those big green eyes. Lexa’s soft grin only widens and works it’s way to her eyes. The midnight blue gown wraps Clarke’s body perfectly. Her strong waste. Her chest. Her collarbones. Man was Clarke pretty. Her hair fell in princess like curls framing her head and Lexa couldn’t help but think a crown belonged sitting atop them.
“Are you ready?” Lexa asks as she takes in the beauty before her. She really is unsure of how the words found their way past her lips without a stutter, but she was thankful all the same.
“Yes.” The blonde is pulled from her trance and Lexa can’t help but smile as she notices the blue eyes taking her in from her toes to her hair and back again. “So you do own a dress?” The girl quips as she walks past Lexa and shuts the door behind her.
“Well this one is technically Anya’s, but yes, Clarke. There is more to me then the army and athletics. Though I will admit, not much.” She smiles back as Clarke turns her head to look at her as she walks down the stairs, pausing a moment to be sure not to trip over the long dress. And honestly, Clarke knows that isn't true. This woman seems so intelligent and just full of knowledge and all kinds of things despite how much she acts like the military and sports are her only interests.
Once they reach the bottom Lexa somehow manages to sneak in front of Clarke to hold the door open for her and then again to open the passenger side door of her old little Lexus. “You don’t have to do that Lexa. I can open a door.”
“I know but my dad would kinda roll over in his grave if I wasn’t well mannered. Habit.”
“You open everyone’s car door?”
A bashful smile sneaks its way to her lips, “No, Clarke. That is just for you.” She shuts the door and slides into the drivers seat and starts them on their way.
“Lexa, seatbelt.”
The brunette reaches across her body with a pout as she clicks the cool metal into the buckle shaking her head in disagreement the entire time. “It’s a stupid law.”
“It saves lives.”
“Still a stupid law. There are more dangerous things, besides the only purpose of the law is to make the state money. Complete BS.”
“Seriously?”
“Can you imagine what Paul Revere or George Washington would have said if someone told them they had to strap themselves to their horse?”
“You probably don't think motorcyclists should wear helmets then do you?"
"Well..."
"Lexa!"
"What? I believe it is within their rights to have that choice with their own lives. But it is also cheaper if they don’t so it would be dumb to force that law.”
Clarke is abut to respond but she stops herself as they pull up beneath a overhang and someone is opening her door. “Miss.” The not bad looking man helps her from the car.
Lexa hands the keys to his partner and tells him to take care of her baby with a wink as she follows Clarke inside. The two are seated immediately and by a spot with a view over the water twinkling with city lights.
The waiter hands them menus after Lexa orders a bottle of wine for the table. “Trying to get me drunk, Captian?” Clarke teases as she opens a menu and Lexa can’t help but laugh nervously at the implication, she catches herself before she cringes at the use of her rank no matter how jokingly. She just wants to be Lexa tonight. “Lexa, I was kidding, I know you wouldn’t do that. I’m sorry.”
“I know you were. It’s not that, it’s just -“ She looks down at her own menu in attempt to hide. It’s stupid. Let it go. The brunette was so surprised by Clarke’s ability to read her she felt compelled to open up.
“Just what?” Perfect french tip’s peak over the top of her menu forcing it lower onto the smooth white table cloth, soft hand sliding to find Lexa’s across the table. “You can tell me.”
“It’s stupid.” It is. She was just upset because she felt like she was going backwards with progress recently and she didn’t want to think of the military and what potential - or lack of - it held for her.
“It’s not.” The blonde’s thumb slides over the backs of her knuckles slowly as the two women allow their eyes to meet.
“I - It’s just - I don’t want to think about the Army tonight.” Clarke smiles in a compassionate understanding. She hadn’t talked much to her the last week or so but Clarke picked up on things. Lexa knew she was walking a little stiffer then she should be.
“Rough week?”
She tilts her head forward in a short bashful nod as they pause for a moment, Clarke sipping from the glass of wine that appeared in front of her. Lexa responds before Clarke gets the chance too, nervous of what she will think. “Great. We nearly got into a political argument in the car and now I’m being stupid. Coffee is easier. I’m sorry.” She didn’t understand, she was Miss Cool Under Pressure herself and here she was being flustered in front of a pretty girl she’s already been dating for a little more than a month. Great job, idiot.
Lexa shifts in her chair before being reassured by a squeeze on her hand. “Know what’s stupid? Not wearing a seatbelt.” Clarke winks across the table as she releases Lexa’s hand and grabs her own menu again. Lexa releases a small laugh as the nerves fade with Clarke’s ease. Her mind is wandering back to the ghost of a touch still tingling the nerves of her hand.
Her heart slides down from where it seemed to have taken residence in her throat and the pounding has slowed. Her mind feels clearer and her usual quiet confidence returns. Ok. I can do this. “Order whatever you like, Clarke.”
“Lexa” She gasps as she looks over the menu. “It’s so expensive. Are you sure?”
“The chef owes me - so yes, Clarke, order what ever you like. Forgetting my wallet will not be a problem tonight.” She chuckles as she winks across the table at the now beaming blonde.
“In that case, were you thinking two or three appetizers?”
“I like the way you think, Dr. Griffin.”