"Goddamn it. God DAMN it. No, no, nooo…" Clarke bangs her fist against her own door in frustration as she realises that yes, she has indeed locked herself out of her own apartment. She rests her forehead against the door, defeated by a key.
How could this day get any worse?
The most frustrating thing was that Clarke had had the door open merely seconds earlier, but then she had caught sight of her beautiful next-door neighbour and promptly let her door slam shut.
As she rests her forehead on the unforgiving wood and curses her weird stranger-crush on the neighbour she has never spoken to, she hears a distant growl of thunder. Oh shit Clarke despairs, one should never think 'how could things get worse?' or something even worse will happen. Because the universe is a bitch like that.
Clarke was going to get soaked. She searches desperately through her pockets and draws out her phone.
"C'mon Bellamy, c'mon Octavia someone come and save me…" Clarke doesn't care that she's muttering to herself- she just wants to get somewhere warm and dry, fast. Somewhere like her goddamn apartment which she stupidly locked herself out of!
Alas, the universe decides to screw with Clarke once more as Clarke looks down to see the cold message no reception on her phone. She swears extremely loudly and explicitly.
It is as Clarke is finding an interesting new way to combine the words "fuck" door" "piece of shit" and "murder" that she feels a timid tap on her shoulder and a soft: "Are you alright?"
Clarke freezes because she's heard that voice before but- no her kind of-crush cannot be a witness to her humiliation. Surely, surely the universe must provide her that one small mercy.
Clarke turns around slowly and sees her- the girl next door. Clarke's heart stutters in her chest (she's pretty sure she must look like a goldfish gaping at her neighbour- because wow how has she never noticed those beautiful green eyes? And that soft brown hair? And Clarke hadn't even had a moment to check out her lips properly and wow were her jeans tight-)
"Are you alright out here?" The girl repeats and Clarke realises she must have been staring like an idiot.
"Oh, um yeah no actually! I accidentally locked myself out of my apartment and-"
A loud growl of thunder interrupts Clarke and she looks skywards in dread. "- but I'm sorry to bother you," Clarke continues once the thunder has faded, "what with all the banging and swearing all, you must think I'm a complete freak!"
The girl merely gives Clarke a small, closed smile and extends her hand to Clarke.
"I'm Lexa. And you're welcome to come into my apartment and wait out the storm."
Clarke takes her hand, savouring the feeling of a warm hand grasped in her own. "Thank you Lexa," Clarke smiles nervously at Lexa as she tastes the other girl's name on her tongue. Lexa. Clarke shakes Lexa's hand briefly before reluctantly dropping it. "I'm Clarke. And thanks so much for your kind offer."
Lexa merely jerks her head towards her apartment. "Clarke, we should get indoors before-"
A loud crack of thunder breaks open the air between them and the acrid smell of ozone fills the air.
Wordlessly Lexa takes Clarke's hand and leads her into her apartment, into shelter and warmth.
What have I gotten myself into?
/
The two girls stand awkwardly in Lexa's apartment. Clarke doesn't know what to say- she's been let into the home of a complete stranger and one that she has a crush on nonetheless. What does one do in these situations?
"Umm…can I borrow your phone?" Clarke eventually mutters, avoiding eye contact. "I need to call a friend who has a spare key and mine has no reception."
Lexa nods and Clarke's heart skips a beat as she brushes past her to get her phone.
After rattling off a quick phone call to a harried Bellamy ("Really Princess? You got locked out because of some hot chick?" "Shut up Bellamy. Just come and give me your spare key.") Clarke looks around Lexa's apartment.
It's simply furnished, a large green couch sitting opposite a television, with a small kitchen and a narrow corridor leading towards a bedroom. Lexa regards her quietly from the couch.
(Clarke wants to slap herself because Lexa's shy nature just makes her infinitely more attractive.)
"So Clarke," Lexa says, once again tasting her name on the tip of her tongue, "I was going to watch some Orphan Black tonight. Would you care to join me?"
Ahh and she's well-mannered too. Clarke's heart does that odd flop again.
Clarke tries to play off her awkwardness, smiling at the other girl. "I'd love to Lexa. Tatiana Maslany is the only thing that could improve the awful day that I'd been having."
(Well that and a certain attractive neighbour. But Clarke doesn't want to think about that.)
/
Lexa and Clarke soon forgot about the storm raging outside, absorbed as they are in the world of Orphan Black. Both seem to be ignoring the other, engrossed in the television. Clarke leans forward from the couch in anticipation.
"C'mon Cosima kiss her, kiss her…"
It is just as Cosima is drawing closer to Delphine when it happens- a clap of thunder crashes loudly throughout the room. So loud is it that Clarke is sure that it must have rattled the window shutters and ruptured one of her ear drums.
She turns to Lexa to make a sarcastic comment about the thunder being obnoxiously ground shattering when there's an odd whining noise and then-
Oh no.
Lexa and Clarke are plunged into sudden darkness as the electricity abruptly cuts out, leaving the two strangers alone in the dark.
Clarke sits frozen on the couch for a while before Lexa's hand finds hers.
"It's alright Clarke," Lexa breathes out, "I have some candles somewhere I think."
Clarke nods dumbly, still shocked from the sudden loss of sight.
Using the light of their phones, the two girls hunt through the kitchen cupboards, eventually uncovering five slim candles and a packet of matches.
"Mmm caramel scented candles. My favourite." Clarke smiles sweetly at Lexa, who unfortunately cannot see Clarke's expression in the dim light.
Once the candles are lit the two girls resume their seats on the couch. An uncomfortable silence ripples in the air between them, interspersed by faint growls of thunder. Clarke sneaks a look at Lexa and regrets it- she looks unworldly in the flickering candle light, golden waves dancing across her cheekbones, illuminating the green in her eyes and making her look so beautiful that Clarke's very soul ached to just reach out and touch her-
"Do you want to play never have I ever?" Clarke blurts out to stop herself obsessing over her neighbour.
Lexa quirks an eyebrow at her and smiles faintly. "I'll get the shot glasses and drinks."
(Clarke loves how blunt Lexa is. It makes a nice change from the constant facades everyone around her seemed so insistent on maintaining. Sometimes you just needed someone to tell it to you straight.)
As Lexa hunts through the kitchen cabinets Clarke offers a mental prayer that this game won't go pear shaped and that she won't end up too much of a drunken mess.
But the universe was a bitch so she didn't have a lot of hope for that.
/
"Never have I ever…" Lexa slurs, holding up a finger as she tries to think of something, "never have I ever… watched a pornographic film."
"Hey don't judge," Clarke says as she picks up the shot. "…I…ok yeah I have no excuse. It was good though." She waggles her eyebrows at Lexa suggestively as she downs the shot. Lexa quirks a smile at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Okay," Clarke says after the burning has faded slightly. "Never have I ever…umm…been blackout drunk. Although at this rate I might have a new experience by tomorrow morning!"
Lexa laughs softly and Clarke hears the soft clink of a glass as she downs the shot. "Getting blackout drunk is no fun at all Clarke. Seriously."
"I'll take your word for it. Hey it's your turn."
"Never have I ever flashed someone." Lexa smirks at Clarke.
"Damn it now you think I'm some sort of creep."
"Hey don't worry Clarke, I always thought you were odd. I mean, never have I ever heard the phrase 'fuckboy fuckdoor' before today so…"
"Oh shut up you," Clarke shoves her lightly on the arm, her hand lingering for a fraction too long before she reaches over to grab the glass and take a painful drink.
"Never have I ever peed my pants in public."
Lexa flushes deep scarlet as she reaches over to pour herself a drink. "Tell no one of this Clarke," Lexa says, glancing around the room nervously as if fearful that it may be bugged. "No one can know."
Clarke cannot help but let out a small giggle at how shifty Lexa looks. "Hey Lexa it's fine. I'm getting blackout drunk remember?"
"Oh yes sorry my mistake Clarke."
There's a long pause as both girls take a moment to realise how utterly smashed they have both become. The storm growls on and the rain continues to pelt itself violently at the roof and windows but neither notice. Nothing exists but the two of them, curled up on a couch, drinking drink after painful drink in the candlelight.
"Hmm…" Lexa shoots Clarke a nervous look. "Never have I ever kissed a boy."
"Damn," Clarke breathes out as she downs another shot and it burns its way down her throat. She glances over at Lexa and sees her staring down at her hands with an odd look in her eyes.
There's an growing tension between them, a sense of suspense- something has been gradually building between the two of them the entire night and Clarke wants whatever it is to explode, she just wants it to happen already, because in her alcohol inhibited state she is sure that her crush likes her back, and oh God Lexa's lips would feel so soft-
Clarke clears her throat. "Never have I ever…" her eyes drop involuntarily to Lexa's lips. She coughs awkwardly into her hand. "Never have I ever kissed a girl."
Lexa looks up at her and smiles faintly as she picks up her shot to down it. Clarke mirrors her with a cheeky smile and mutters: "Just kidding."
The two of them feel the slow burn of the alcohol as it trickles down their throats but both ignore it suddenly caught in the others gaze. The candles burn lazily between them and Clarke cannot help but think that it is that she will remember about this night- the scent of caramel, the golden light illuminating the gloom and the way that Lexa looked at her.
They draw closer to each other and Lexa slowly reaches a tentative hand out to gently cup Clarke's cheek. Clarke relaxes into Lexa's touch and they stare at each other for a moment before Lexa gently brushes a strand of blonde hair out of Clarke's face.
And then Lexa kisses her- her lips the faintest, softest brush against Clarke's and Clarke can taste a hint of raspberries as she leans forward for more when suddenly a loud: "CLARKE! I HAVE YOUR SPARE KEY!" interrupts them.
Bellamy Blake had always had particularly bad timing, and Clarke curses softly as Lexa moves away rapidly, looking affronted.
"I-"
"-Well that was-"
"-I guess we'll-"
An awkward silence falls between the two girls.
"So I better go then Lexa. Thank you for the game of never have I ever and um…" Clarke trails off, looking down at Lexa's lips again.
Bellamy's insistent voice blares through the door. "PRINCESS! It's cold and wet! Come out already!"
"Until next time then, Clarke." Lexa whispers and Clarke smiles softly before turning and walking towards the door, using her phone to navigate the gloomy apartment.
"May we meet again, neighbour."
/
"So what was that about Clarke?" Bellamy asks. "You made me wait in the rain for like five minutes. That was a dick move, Princess."
Clarke touches her lips, the taste of raspberries still tangible. "I'm sorry Bell," Clarke mutters. "There was just something that I-" She trails off looking back at Lexa's apartment. "Hey Bell? Do you mind letting yourself into my apartment? I'll be there in a second, there's just something I need to do first."
Bellamy merely rolls his eyes. He'd been Clarke's friend for too long to oppose her when she got that stubborn look on her face.
Clarke meanwhile, has already begun to stumble back towards Lexa's apartment. She reaches the door and bangs on it desperately. "Lexa!" Clarke yells, unable to shake the sense of urgency that suddenly struck her.
A confused Lexa opens the door. "Clarke wha-"
And Clarke kisses her. Her hand comes up to brush across Lexa's cheek as she deepens the kiss. It's so perfect, oh so wonderful- it's soft, gentle and everything tastes of raspberry chapstick. The storm rages on around them and both felt electrified by the other, as if they'd been struck by lightning.
Maybe the universe wasn't such a bitch after all.
A/N: I'll probably write some more Clexa AUs. I hope you enjoyed this :)
If you want to say hi, I'm malacology on tumblr!