Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Waking up on your not so comfortable couch was one thing. Waking up on your not so comfortable couch, after being pretty sure you had slept in your bed the night before, was just down-right confusing.

Lexa groaned as she sat up, rubbing at her face with both hands as she tried to get rid of the grogginess. She lifted her phone up off the ground to look at the time, only to find that it was dead. She hadn’t plugged the damn charger into the damn socket. She groaned again as she stood up, stretching her arms into the air and curving her back, sighing happily as it cracked and clicked.

She checked her reflection in the mirror as she walked past it, stopping for a second to glare at the patterns the couch’s cushion had left on her face. She lifted her hand up to trace the red lines on her cheek. The indents were pretty deep, they would take ages to disappear entirely.

She picked up her shoes on her way  to the stairs, annoyed that she had just left them in the middle of the hall. Indra would have had her head on a platter if she had been around to notice them.

At the top of the stairs she found another pair of shoes, these ones belonging to another person.

Lexa frowned. What the hell? 

She made her way down the hall to her bedroom door, pushing it open and storming in before the events of the night before filled her mind, staggering her back a step like a blow to face. She looked in open astonishment as Clarke lay fast asleep on her bed, snuggly covered in Lexa’s hoodie and duvet, hair wildly splayed behind her.

Lexa’s heart was in her throat as she slowly crept backwards, eyes never straying from the woman in her bed. She bumped her shoulder on the door as she backed up, letting out a quiet swear. Clarke mumbled a little, before snuggling deeper into the hoodie and falling back into silence.

Lexa closed the door after her, standing in front of it for a while, trying to listen out for any noise. When all remained quiet she turned and fled down the stairs, swinging around the bottom and back into the living room. It all still faintly smelled of fresh paint. She stood there for a while too, trying to gather her thoughts together.

There’s a woman in her bed. A very attractive woman. Luckily a woman she knows pretty well, otherwise this would all be fairly embarrassing. Clarke had told her a lot about her past last night, and Lexa wasn’t sure on how Clarke would react to that. She would be hungry. What would she eat?

Lexa snapped her fingers as a thought occurred to her, immediately regretting such a dorky action. But she knew what to do.

Pancakes.

She walked through to the kitchen, deciding to ignore her morning routine for once, and started looking for the right ingredients. She was grateful to herself for getting her act together a week earlier, and buying a whole bunch of groceries.

She had started pouring some batter onto the pan when the house phone went off, causing her to jump and loudly drop the bowl onto the counter. She swore again as she ran into the living room, stubbing her toe on the leg of the coffee table. She hopped on one leg the rest of the way to the phone, wrenching it off the wall and bringing it to her ear.

“Fucking shitter dick!” She whispered savagely down the speaker.

“Well good morning to you too, sunshine.” Came a voice down the line.

Lexa paused.

“Anya?”

“You’re damn right it’s Anya! I told you to call me last night and you didn’t! Now I’ve  got to pay for this call!”

“Poor you.” she replied dryly, leaning on the wall and rubbing her toe.

“Oh shush. At least you earn money, little miss author.”

“I haven’t even finished that book yet.”

“Yeah but you still tell everyone it’s a job so I’m only playing along!”

Lexa sighed. “What do you want Anya, I’m sort of busy.”

“Doing what?”

“...Breakfast…”

“What kind?”

“...Pancakes…”

“You’ve got a girl in your bed!”

Lexa whipped her round to look for her sister. “How the hell-”

“You never make pancakes! You always eat your healthy cereal shit!”

“It’s not shit, it’s good.” she mumbled.

“Don’t change the subject, who did you bang?”

“My, isn’t the weather wonderful?”

“Different places Lexa. Was it the one with the stupid name? Clarke? Did you finally do the do with You Know Who?!”

“That’s voldemort, so I absolutely did not. And she’s only sleeping in my bed, I slept down on the couch.”

“Wow, was she that bad?”

“Anya, you’re infuriating to talk to!”

“I just want to make sure you’re looking after yourself, that’s all. I’m just being a protective big sister!”

“By asking who I’m sleeping with?”

“I don’t want your heart broken again, that’s all.”

Lexa’s breath caught in her throat.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

“But you did.”

She heard Anya sigh down the phone. “Look. Costia would be upset if she knew that you were completely avoiding talking about her.”

“Yeah, well, Costia’s dead, so she doesn’t really get a say on what I talk about.”

“Jesus Alexandria, chill out.”

“Oh don’t ‘Alexandria’ me.”

“So it sounds like you really like this girl then, huh?” Anya replied quickly.

Lexa frowned. “As a friend.. And what of it?”

“I don’t know, I’m just glad you’re  finally over Costia, I didn’t think you’d ever be fine after what happened.”

“I’m not over her, I’m just trying to move on.”

“Well it sounds like you’re doing a great job, you’ve managed to fall in love with this Clarke girl, so that’s something at least. Maybe you’ll be able to talk about the accident finally.”

“I don’t Love her, Anya.” Lexa all but growled down the phone.

“Oh don’t start that ‘love is weak’ bullshit with me! Loving someone doesn’t make you weak Lexa!”

“You don’t know what you’re on about, you’ve never had a reason to be weak.”

“Really? You don’t think I’ve ever lost someone I cared about?”

“Sure, you’ve had the odd break up.”

“I’m not talking about getting over a crush.”

“Well I don’t really know about any other significant ‘heartbreak’ you’ve had in your life.”

Lexa was being cruel and unfair, she knew that, but she told Anya to never speak to her of love and now she had crossed the line.

“Mom left me too!” Came the angry yell. “Stop thinking that you’re the only one who got hurt, because you weren’t! I lost my mom too! In fact I even knew what she was like before shit happened! I knew mom before she found alcohol! All you had was ME .”

Lexa glared at her phone before whispering a harsh “Fuck you.” And hanging up.

She spun round when she heard an awkward cough behind her.

“That was a pretty heated argument there.”

Lexa relaxed when she saw Clarke leaning against the doorframe.

“Yeah. It was just my sister. We’ll get over it.”

“You sure? I’m here to talk to, if you need it.”

“We’re sisters, we fall out all the time. We’ve ended conversations much harsher than that one.”

Clarke nodded.

“But thank you, all the same.” Lexa added, trying to reassure her.

“No problem.” She smiled.

Lexa gestured towards the kitchen. “I um, I contemplated making pancakes, but I can’t cook to save my life, so uhh…”

Clarke smiled as she stepped forward,lifting a hand to Lexa’s cheek and lightly touched the pattern still left there.

“You know you didn’t have to sleep on the couch, right?”

Lexa fought the urge to lean into her hand. “Yeah, I know. But you were wasted and I didn’t want you to freak out over waking up in the same bed.”

Clarke opened her mouth to respond when the fire alarm started screeching.

“God dammit.”

“You left one in the pan?!”

“I got distracted!”

“Go turn it off!”

Lexa ran through to the kitchen and yanked the pan away from the cooker, the blackened pancake flying onto the floor.

Clarke had been close behind and grabbed a tea towel before flapping it at the alarm, trying to clear the smoke away as the other woman ran around and wrenched open windows and doors.

“I can’t believe you!”

“The phone went off, I got distracted!”

“So you just left it?!”

The alarm finally stopped, and clarke let her arms drop with a huff.

Lexa looked over at her as she tried to contain her smile.

“You weren’t joking about cooking, where you?”

She couldn’t hold it in any longer, Lexa’s laughter bubbled around the room as Clarke bent over to pick up the charcoaled pancake with a finger and thumb, her own laughter starting to spill out.

“I can’t fucking believe you!” she laughed for the third time.

“It was an accident, douche bag!” Lexa laughed, holding onto her stomach.

Clarke threw the pancake at her, laughing all the harder as Lexa caught it mid air and threw it right back.

After a couple of minutes of laughing, throwing the blackened pancake and exchanging insults, Lexa finally collapsed onto the floor, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Clarke joined her, sliding down to sit cross legged, holding a hand to her forehead as she fought to get her breath back.

When all was calm, she just sat there and looked at the pancake before chucking it to the side, a soft smile lingering on her face. “We’re so cliche.” She said.

Lexa huffed another laugh, “I have no idea what you are talking about, we’re perfectly…” she struggled for a word, “We’re something, I guess.”

They stayed like that for a while, trying to look at everything else but each other.

“So uh, my friend Bellamy is throwing a little party tonight, it’s just like a get together, and he’ll be the only one there that you haven’t met yet, and he said that you’re more than welcome to come! If you want to, that is. But it’s fine if you don’t, I mean, you had a crappy night and all-”

“Clarke. I’d like to come, don’t worry.”

She let out an explosive breath. “Good! good.” She nodded for a few seconds “I kind of rambled on there, sorry.”

Lexa smiled, “It’s fine. I know I’m intimidating, I’ve been told so before.”

Clarke smiled back at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s not quite it.” She ignored the questioning look from Lexa and stood up, offering her hand down to her.

“Come on! I’ll show you how to make actual  pancakes and not,” She gestured to the black mess, ”whatever that is.”

---------

Lexa pulled up outside the house, glancing over at Clarke to check that it was the right one.

“How did you know?” She asked as she undid her seatbelt.

“I threatened him once, when we were kids.”

“You threatened him.”

“He beat up my best friend!”

“Who?”

“Lincoln.”

“What?!”

“Yup.”

“No.”

“Yup.”

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“Don’t you dare! that’s my duty.”

“Tonight’s going to be interesting…”

Lexa paused. “You told him who I was, right?”

Clarke looked sheepish. “Not quite. I just said it was a friend…”

Lexa banged her head back against the headrest a couple of times. “You’re kidding me.” He’s going to kick me straight out.”

“No he won’t he’s not like that anymore, and I won’t let him. Besides, the idea of teenage Lexa threatening someone like Bellamy is kind of adorable!”

“Absolutely not. It should be terrifying.”

“Yeah, you keep thinking that.” Clarke grinned as she patted the other’s cheek.

Lexa followed her out the car, locking it as she walked up to Bellamy’s door. Clarke grinned at her before knocking confidently on the door.

She could feel her heart in her throat. She shouldn’t be this nervous, but this is one of Clarke’s friends, and for some reason unknown to her, she just really really really wanted to impress Clarke. Like a lot.

A tall man, with shaggy hair answered at the knock, a huge grin covering his face.

“I told them you’d come!” He shouted, engulfing her in a bear hug, not much different from how Lincoln would hug Lexa. “And you brought your friend too!” He noticed, his grin still firmly in place.

Lexa cleared her throat before offering her hand. “Yeah, hi, I’m-”

“You made it!”

A short shadow came bounding out the door and straight into Clarke’s arms, knocking her back a few steps, followed by a slightly slower Raven.

“Jesus O, stop trying to kill me.”

“We were so worried!” The shorter woman shouted, smacking Clarke’s arm.

“Ow.”

“You just disappeared! Where the hell did you go?”

“I just went for a walk…”

“And called me, so I drove her home.” Lexa supplied.

Octavia’s eyes snapped to hers in suspicion.

“Yeah. I ended up in her neighbourhood.”

“And called me in the middle of the night.”

“So she came to pick me up.”

“And I took her home.”

“Yup.”

“Oh my god stop, you two make my face hurt.” Raven said, taking Lexa by the arm and hauling her into the house.

Octavia followed after with a tight grip on Clarke.

Lexa nearly wet herself when she heard bellamy talking to Octavia.

“She seems familiar…”

“You have no idea big brother.”

“what do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

Lexa rounded the corner to find Lincoln sitting awkwardly on the chair, back straight as he just stared down at his hands. His whole demeanor seemed to relax when Lexa stepped inside, a grin spreading across his cheeks.

“Thank god. Does he know yet?”

Lexa shook her head. “He doesn’t remember me.”

Bellamy came into the room then, smiling at everyone. Lexa’s chest was starting to feel unbelievably tight.

“Anyone want a drink?”

Everyone started nodding and calling out alcoholic drinks as Bellamy rolled his eyes. He went to walk through to the kitchen when he caught Lexa’s eyes.

“Want a drink too…?”

“Lexa.” She supplied.

“Lexa.” he repeated with a nod. He went to walk away but froze and did a double take.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Lexa offered a smile. “Well, you’re still alive aren’t you? that counts for something, right?”

Octavia burst into laughter. “I’ve always wondered why you were so scared of Lincoln!”

“You threatened my sister too!” Bellamy said, running a hand through his hair.

“To be fair, you did beat up my friend.”

“Then you beat Me  up!”

“I’d argue that that was a fair beating though.”

He just grunted in reply, glaring hard at her.

“Look,” Lexa said, taking a step forward, “Let’s just forget about it, it was a long time ago-”

“Not that long.”

“Over a decade, Bellamy, I was ten. Come on, we’re adults now.” She extended her hand and raised an eyebrow.

“Please.” Lincoln jumped in, “This is awkward enough, let’s put it behind us Bel.”

Bellamy’s shoulders sagged. “I really am sorry, you know? I’m not proud.”

“We figured.” Lexa said, taking a step closer.

“We forgave you that day, man, everyone does stupid shit.”

Bellamy smiled gratefully, taking Lexa’s hand, and then Lincoln’s. “Fine. No more of this awkward shit, I’m exhausted from it.”

The whole room exhaled.

“That was fucking intense.” Raven said, pretending to wipe sweat from her brow and flicking it away.

Everyone laughed, the tension instantly disappearing from the room.

“So!” Bellamy clapped his hands together. “Lexa! drink?”

She shook her head, “No thanks, I’m driving.”

“Cool cool, I’ll get you a soda.”

Everyone got settled back into their seats, exchanging smiles and small talk. They were all quite happy just sitting like that, enjoy the peace that comes with being with good friends.

“Lexa. Have I ever told you about the time that Bellamy saved my life?” Raven asked from her place upside down on the couch.

Lexa narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “No…”

“Well then! Story Time people!”

Raven swung her legs back down to the ground as she turned over, leaning down a little to fix the trouser leg over her brace.

“It was just me, all on my own, in the middle…” She paused for dramatic effect, “Of a forest.”

Everyone sighed and leaned back in their seats.

“A forest, Raven?”

“Yes Clarke, a forest, it was terrifying. I was all on my own-”

“Then where was Bellamy?”

“On his way-”

“To the forest? In the middle of nowhere?”

“Yes! to a forest in the middle of nowhere, shut up. So there I was, going on a nice little walk, just to clear my head and get some fresh air, when pain EXPLODED through my leg! It turns out… I had stood in a bear trap.”

“In a forest.”

“Yes Clarke, in a fucking forest! Shut up! So anyway, I screamed, and screamed, for someone to come and help me, but no one was there…”

“Who laid the traps?”

“Irrelevant.”

“It’s not irrelevant, you can sue!”

“Irrelevant! So I waited, and waited, and finally  our hero arrives and wrenches the trap open.”

Lexa glanced at Bellamy who only raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

...“I was literally saved by the bell.”

“Get out.” Clarke replied.

“Clarke I-”

“Go outside. Right now. You’re on time out Reyes.”

“Clarke!”

“Now, Raven!”

“No one appreciates me.” Raven muttered as she slammed the door behind her.

----------

“Take me to work!”

“Claaaaaaaarke. Stop this!”

“I’ll sparkle like a dog at the shrine of your light!”

“You’re ruining this song for me, woman!”

Clarke huffed. “Well fine!”

A minute of silence followed.

“...Let it snow…”

“No! We aren’t going through that one again!”

“rude.”

Another minute.

“at my show on Monday, I was hoping someday, you’d be on your way to better things-”

“Please get this one right.”

“It’s not about your makeup, or how you try to shake up, to these tiresome baby jeans.”

Lexa growled. “PAPER. DREAMS. HOW- WHAT- HOW ON EARTH DOES ‘BABY JEANS’ MAKE SENSE?!”

Clarke just grinned at her. “embrace it Lexa, songs don’t have to make sense!”

“yes they do! they absolutely do!”

Lexa pulled up outside Clarke’s house, finally able to get rid of the blonde.

“What? we’re here already?”

“Yes.”

“But I was having such a good time!”

“At least one of us was.”

“Lexa come in!”

“I can’t Clarke, it was awkward enough meeting your mom the first time.”

“She’s probably not even home.”

“Her car is right there, she’s home Clarke.”

“But Lexaaaaaaaaa. I’m too druuuuuuuuuuunk.”

“Dear God.” She whispered.

Unclipping her seatbelt, Lexa got out of the car and walked round to Clarke’s side, opening the door for her.

“I swear to God, if I have to make up an excuse for you again…”

“No! not at all! Mom basically expects you to bring me home now.”

“She does?”

“You have done a lot this month.” Clarke supplied.

Lexa was shocked when she realised just how many times she had taken Clarke home.

“Okay, fine. Let’s go.”

“Let it snow!”

“No!”

Lexa clamped a hand over her mouth and gave her a fierce stare. “Do NOT put me through that again.”

When Clarke’s only reply was to laugh, Lexa picked her up in a fireman’s lift and started taking her to her house, trying not smile at Clarke’s scream and loud laughter.

After she had wrestled Clarke into her room, Lexa turned to leave, only to her arm caught by Clarke’s hand.

“Don’t go.” She whispered.

“I have to, I’ve got to get home.”

“Kiss me.”

Lexa froze. “What?”

Lexa held her breath as Clarke came closer, her eyes already closed as she leaned in.

“Clarke, this isn’t the time or the place-“

“Just shut up and kiss me Lexa. Please.”

Her legs went weak. “Clarke…”

Clarke leaned closer, her breath smelled slightly of alcohol as her lips brushed Lexa’s. Lexa’s breath hitched in her throat as Clarke put one hand on her waist.

A bang from outside the door brought Lexa spinning back down to Earth, snapping her mind back to attention. She took a step back and, after putting her hands on Clarke’s shoulders, she pushed her back slightly and gave her a hard look.

“You need to go to sleep.”

“It’ just my mom going to bed! She won’t know!”

“Clarke. You’re drunk. Bed.”

“Uuuuuuuugh.” Clarke groaned as she climbed onto the foot of her bed. instead of lying down like a normal human does, she sat on her knees and glared at Lexa.

Lexa sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Clarke glared at her. “You sigh a lot. Far too much.”

“It’s something that I use when I lack words for a situation. This is a situation that I am definitely lacking words for.”

“Okay, I am far too drunk to understand what you just said. Say it slower maybe. Hell, sing it?”

“No. I’m not singing.”

“UUUUUUUUGH” Clarke groaned as she face planted her pillow.

Lexa stared at her until she heard a delayed and muffled “Oooooooow.” Coming from the drunken mess.

She rolled her eyes. “Are you comfortable at least?”

“No.”

“Fantastic. Come on, let’s cover you up.” She reached down and grabbed a corner of her duvet before gently pulling it up and over her shoulders. She turned towards the door as quietly as she could, reaching out for the handle when she heard, “Please don’t go.”

“I can’t stay Clarke.”

“Yes you can.”

“I can’t”

“You can.”

“This is childish now.”

“ You’re childish now.”

Lexa considered sighing again but decided against it.

“Fine. I’ll sleep on the floor. I need something to wear though, I don’t want to sleep in this.” she plucked loosely at her shirt.

“Pyjamas are in the third drawer up.” Clarke mumbled through her pillow. Lexa walked over to her chest of drawers and opened them, pulling out a tank top and loose pyjama bottoms.

Next she grabbed a cushion from Clarke’s bed and threw it on the floor before crawling down beside it. The floor was uncomfortable and hard on her back as she lay there, staring up at the patterned ceiling. What was wrong with her? She knew this wasn’t a good idea, she didn’t want to give Clarke the wrong impression. She didn’t want Clarke thinking there was something between them. Clarke deserved much better than her.  Although… would it have been that bad? Kissing her? A peck wouldn’t have hurt anyone, would it?

She looked over at Clarke when she saw a mass of Blonde hair fall over the side of the bed.

Clarke was staring at her, her blue eyes causing Lexa’s heart rate to pick up. “You know, it’s perfectly acceptable to sleep in the same bed, you don’t HAVE to sleep on the floor, that’s just being a little ridiculous. And stupid.”

“I know, but I am happy here, do not worry. And it is not stupid either, your behaviour right now is stupid though.”

“You’re always so formal. Just get on the damn bed,” Clarke raised an eyebrow as she said,  

“Stupid.”

“Clarke! If I have to tell you to go to sleep one more time, I’ll… I’ll.” Lexa struggled for words.

“You’ll what? SIGH at me? Oh heavens no!”

Lexa glared at her. “I’ll get your mother. Don’t doubt me on this.”

Clarke’s smile fled, leaving her pouting at Lexa. Actually pouting, sticking out her bottom lip and making it quiver.

“You’re seriously not pouting at me right now, stop.”

“It works for Octavia!”

“Octavia can pull it off! You don’t have the lips for it. Or the practice. From what I’ve seen, her pout is the only way she can win an argument against her brother. And they argue a lot.”

Lexa opened her mouth again to carry on, but Clarke shut her up with “Stop thinking about my lips, perv.”

“I… Wait… That’s all you got out of that?”

Smooth. Good job Lexa. A-fucking-star. Passed with flying colours on that one. Tell her you’re tired dumb ass, just get her to stop talking.

“Please Clarke, I’m really tired, promise me you’ll go to sleep now?”

“Fine! Whatever makes you happy! You could knock me unconscious for all I care!”

“It’s tempting.” Lexa muttered under her breath.

Clarke rolled over, her back to Lexa’s as she tried to sleep. Soon her breathing changed and Lexa almost cried with relief. She went to roll over too, but found that the floor was too hard to give her any comfort on her side.She rolled onto her back again and stared at the ceiling.

She tried willing herself to sleep, she tried counting to a thousand, she tried rolling over again and again, but no matter what she did, her thoughts always ended up on Clarke, or this stupid hard flooring. Eventually she glanced up at the bed, and the soft mattress that was ever so slightly calling her name.

A few hours wouldn’t be so bad, would it? It’s not like Clarke will be getting up early anyway, she’ll never know.

Rolling onto her front, Lexa slowly lifted herself onto her feet, being careful not to make a noise and wake up the sleeping girl.

This is ridiculous, thought as she creeped across the room. I’m creeping, this is weird and I should probably stop. But she didn’t. She carried on, gently lifting the covers and climbing in. Clarke started mumbling.

shit shit shit shit shit

Lexa froze, staring intently as Clarke rolled over and fell back asleep, muttering to herself

about some nonsense.

She started moving again, trying her damned best to not wake Clarke up.

Finally settled down, she pulled the covers back up to her shoulders and rolled over, her back to the blonde, and closed her eyes.

“Told you it wasn’t so bad.”

Well. Shit.