Invisible Demons
Clarke looked around the small room, her eyes falling on the sleeping pallet made of deer skins and some sort of padding. It looked warm and inviting and it seemed that was just what the blonde needed.
“If you need anything, I am just across the hall.” Lexa said, her voice soft. “Just call.”
Clarke nodded, her tired body moving toward the pallet. “Thanks.” She replied softly, sitting down on the soft deer skins to remove her boots.
Her and Lexa had had a talk the night before, Clarke finally coming to realize that the Commander hadn’t betrayed her, the deal the grounders accepted had lead Mount Weather to believe the fight was off, it gave them an advantage they wouldn’t have had if things had gone differently. That wasn’t to say that Clarke forgave Lexa, she simply understood why things had gone the way they did.
Once she was down to her undershirt and shorts, she climbed into the bed, pulling the soft blanket up to her chin. Her eyes stared at the same spot on the ceiling until they went unfocused, making the blonde shake her head, lids falling shut.
Lexa listened to the dark dwelling, she heard Clarke climb into the bed, rustling around for a few moments before everything went quiet again. Part of the grounder wasn’t entirely convinced that it was real, that the Sky Princess was laying in the room next to her.
Though they had come to an understanding, Lexa’s chest still ached whenever she thought of how broken Clarke looked when the deal was done. “I’m sorry.” She murmured, letting out a soft sigh.
Guilt was an emotion Lexa was used to, something she had learned to shove into the back of her mind long ago, but somehow this wouldn’t go away. She knew that the deal she had made seemed like betrayal, like she chose her people over Clarke, but saving her people gave the Clarke the chance to save her own. And although she knew it to be true, knew she helped in her own way, she felt she had a debt to pay toward the blonde.
She lay there for a few silent moments, mulling over her thoughts before banishing them to the recesses of her mind where she would deal with them later. As she closed her eyes, the soft sounds of whimpers tickled her ear drums.
She sat up slowly, tilting her head toward the hall, where the sounds became louder, until a shrill scream pierced the air. Within moments Lexa was out of bed and across the hall, heart slamming in her chest as she looked upon the thrashing blonde.
“No..no..I didn’t mean to..” Clarke cried, fighting with invisible demons. “I’m so sorry..” Tears rolled down the blonde’s face, before another scream tore through her raw vocal cords.
“Clarke.” Lexa murmured, resting a steady hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “Clarke, wake up.”
After a few gentle shakes from the Commander, Clarke awoke with a jolt, eyes wide with terror. She took a moment to take in her surroundings before her gaze fell upon the grounder, who was only dressed in what seemed like a long t-shirt.
“Lexa..What are you doing here?” She asked softly, pulling her knees close to her chest.
“You were having a nightmare and you screamed, I came to make sure it wasn’t something more menacing.” Lexa explained, sitting next to the quiet blonde. “It was just a dream, Clarke.”
“No..it was real.”