Author's note: All I can say is that I'm very excited about this one, guys. I've put a lot of thought into it and hope you'll enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think so far! xoxo
Clarke let her feet scuff along the sidewalk as she made her way home. This wasn't a route she usually took, but at least it was away from the main roads. She glanced up and saw an old shop sign hanging precariously off its hinges and stepped into the empty road to avoid the potential hazard. She shook her head at the state of the buildings here.
How had things gone so wrong so fast?
It wasn't all that long ago that the biggest dilemma in Clarke's life was deciding whether she was going to study art or medicine. The things she used to consider a struggle were laughable now. This was the new world. The world people had voted for. And now they were facing the consequences.
A sound that had become foreign in the last year roared behind her, and Clarke turned to look just as the car went zooming past. She rolled her eyes. Asshole. He may have the whole street to himself, but he didn't have to drive like a maniac. The elite were the only ones operating cars these days, and Clarke certainly wasn't one of them.
A solitary drop of rain splashed against Clarke's neck and she shuddered at the cool sensation. She glanced up at the darkening sky, pulled up her hood, and stuffed her hands into her pants pockets, which she knew was pointless since she'd most likely be soaking wet by the time she got home.
A little further up the road was a small diner that looked to be the only occupied building on the street. Clarke instinctively quickened her pace at the thought of warmth, food, and company. But then she remembered where she was. And when she was. A couple of years ago Clarke would have walked into that diner without a second thought. But she didn't know who was inside. She couldn't afford to assume strangers were trustworthy. Not anymore. She sighed as the rain started to fall harder and stayed her course, seeing the side street ahead that was her shortcut home.
Clarke had been walking with her head down for the last minute and didn't notice the person rushing up to her until it was too late to avoid the encounter, and it certainly wasn't one she was expecting. She looked up just in time to see a tall, slender girl approach, and all Clarke managed to think was, Why in the world is she wearing a t-shirt in the rain?
Clarke prided herself on her alert mind and cautious nature - that was likely the only reason she was still alive - but she was caught completely off guard by the unfamiliar girl who marched right up and grabbed the front of her jacket. She made eye contact for one moment, then dove in and kissed Clarke without reservation, pinning her against the building. For a split-second, Clarke kissed back out of reflex until her rational brain kicked in and she pulled her head back. With anyone else, Clarke would have pushed them off and whipped out her switchblade before they could get out a single word. But somehow she found herself just staring at the girl in front of her.
"Um, hi. Do I know you?"
The girl bit her lip and blushed. "No, sorry about that. I was just in that diner with a few friends and lost a bet, so they said I had to go out in the rain on this empty street and kiss the first person I saw. I was out here for five minutes before you arrived, so I guess I was a little enthusiastic about seeing you so I would be allowed back into warmth.
Clarke laughed at the ridiculous situation. "Seriously? The very first person?"
"Yes." The girl chuckled. "My one rule was they had to obviously be over 18. I didn't need anyone coming after me for harassing a minor. These are bad times to get locked up."
"Agreed. Good rule."
"I thought so too. I hope you didn't mind too much."
Their bodies were still pressed together. Clarke's breathing became heavy and her head was swimming, but she smirked to hide it. "I actually feel quite harassed, I'll have you know."
"Then you're free to write up a formal complaint." The girl winked. "I was just grateful you weren't an old man with dentures."
Clarke laughed and tried to study the woman whose face was still only mere inches away from hers. A few stray strands of dark brown stuck out from the gray snapback that concealed the rest of her hair. Little good it did her in this downpour.
The girl smiled and tilted her head. "Yes?"
"Sorry." Clarke chuckled nervously. "I just... God, you're beautiful."
She received a surprised grin in response. "Thanks. I'm Lexa, by the way."
"Clarke."
The brunette arched an eyebrow. "Single?"
"Just recently."
"Perfect."
Clarke gasped as Lexa grabbed the front of her jacket again and whipped her around the corner of the building so they were now standing in a dim alleyway. They stood there staring at each other for a brief second that felt like eternity, and in the darkness all Clarke could see was the whites of her eyes. Clarke took a deep breath and gave in to the spontaneity of the moment. She placed a hand behind Lexa's head and drew her in to press their lips together again. She could feel her smile.
"You're an amazing kisser," Lexa praised between heavy breaths.
"You're not so bad yourself." Clarke tugged softly at Lexa's bottom lip, drawing a moan from her. Clarke wasn't even thinking anymore, her body running purely on autopilot as she let her hands slide to the brunette's hips and trailed light kisses along her jawline and down her neck.
Lexa wrapped her arms around Clarke's neck and let her head drop back. "Oh god, I should not be this turned on right now."
"Shouldn't you?" Clarke chuckled as she brought her lips back up to meet the other woman's. "You say that like you don't regularly start making out with random strangers on the street."
"I don't!" Lexa squealed when Clarke playfully pinched her side.
"And you're incredibly ticklish?" Clarke laughed. "This just keeps getting better."
In one swift motion Lexa grabbed Clarke's hands and pinned them to the wall above her head and smirked. "No."
Clarke laughed as she struggled to free her hands. "You're no fun."
Lexa tilted her head. "Aren't I?" She went in for Clarke's mouth again, grazing her tongue across the blonde's lips. Clarke moaned as their tongues met and all traces of rational thinking were gone. It had been a long time since Clarke had allowed herself to completely melt into another person like this.
Several minutes passed before Clarke spoke again. "God, I'm so wet."
"Well, we are standing in the middle of a rainstorm, Clarke." Lexa chuckled between kisses. "We're both soaked."
Clarke paused to look into the green eyes in front of her. "No." She pulled one of Lexa's hands down and pressed it between her legs. "I mean here."
"Oh." Lexa's eyes widened. She brought her other hand down and let her thumbs trail along Clarke's waistline and smiled. "Then I'd still say we're both soaked."
Clarke smirked and her breath hitched as Lexa reached for her pants button.
"Put your hands up!" a gravelly voice called from the street.
"Shit," the girls muttered in unison as Lexa jumped back.
"Don't even try running, Woods! I know that's you, and my men are blocking the other end of the alleyway."
Lexa slowly turned around and scowled as a beam of light flashed in her face. "Roan," she growled.
"Cuff her, Echo," he called to another officer. Roan snickered. "And who's your little friend here? I'm Officer Azgeda, ma'am..." He moved the flashlight to Clarke and gaped. "Well, I'll be damned. Look who just helped me catch my number one fugitive!"
Lexa gasped and stared at Clarke in disgust. "You were a plant?"
"Hell no!" Clarke spat back.
"Hello no is right," Roan chuckled as he shoved Clarke face first against the building and pulled out a set of handcuffs. "Griffin here is my number two fugitive! And don't be jealous, Clarke. Really the only thing that makes your lady friend here my number one is that I've been chasin' her down longer than you."
When Roan spun her back around, Clarke and Lexa locked eyes and stared at each other in shock.
"Ooh boy, I never dreamt I'd catch the two of you like this! I had no idea you even knew each other, so I'll give you props for keepin' that under wraps."
"You know I don't lie to you, Azgeda..."
"I know you don't, Woods, which is why we have such a healthy respect for each other."
"...so you'll be just as surprised as we are when I tell you we literally just met."
Roan's head fell back in unrestrained laughter. "That's a good one, Woods! With the way you were practically eating each other? Now, you may be mostly honest with me, but I also know you've got jokes, and that's a good one."
"No, sir, it's actually true." A lanky young man in soaked jeans and a sweatshirt stepped up. Lexa glared when she recognized him as the guy who was sitting at the table next to hers in the diner. "Woods lost some bet with the people she was with, so they told her to go out in the rain and kiss the first person she saw. Griffin happened to be that person."
Roan's laughter roared even louder. "And I thought you'd already learned your gamblin' lesson, Woods." He and Officer Echo walked the girls out to the rain-slick street. "You're bein' uncharacteristically quiet tonight, Griffin."
"Yeah, well, me talking hasn't ever helped any situation with you, Azgeda. Why start now?"
Roan chuckled. "That one's got jokes and this one's got sass. Some things just never change. You actually do make a good pair."
Lexa caught Clarke's eye and they exchanged a look of frustration and amusement.
"Am I taking Woods in my car, sir?" Echo asked.
"No, no, no. I'm not lettin' either of them out of my sight. I'll take 'em both."
Lexa looked to Clarke and shrugged when they were both pushed up against the squad car. "At least we're together." She smirked. "So, what did you do to end up on Azgeda's hit list?"
Clarke opened her mouth to answer, but Roan cut her off. "Yeah, you know what? I don't really feel like listenin' to Bonnie and Clyde on the way, so let's just gag 'em." He and Echo made quick work of silencing the girls and shoved them into the backseat.
Despite the levity they had all shared in the unlikely coincidence of their situation, Clarke was terrified. She had barely escaped with her life the last time she was in this situation. Lexa seemed to sense her change in mood and bumped their shoulders together as the police cruiser roared to life. Lexa smiled as best she could despite the gag.
Clarke furrowed her brow and stared at her thinking, what the hell could you be smiling about?
Lexa simply gave her a wink and faced forward again, mysteriously content.
Clarke sighed, sunk back into her seat, and looked out the window. Just as her mind started to run through every worst-case scenario for this situation, she felt a touch to her leg. She turned to see Lexa's lopsided grin as she brushed their legs together. Clarke couldn't help her own partial smile, grateful that her new friend and fellow criminal was trying to distract her from her hopelessness. Clarke placed her head on Lexa's shoulder and nestled into her damp neck, grateful for the warmth and comfort she wordlessly exuded.
"Hey, no canoodlin' back there!" Roan shook his head. "Damn, you Defiants are a strange bunch - the whole lot of ya!"
The girls snickered quietly. They might be headed toward imprisonment or worse, but at least they could share this brief reprieve together. They both closed their eyes and tried not to imagine what the future held in store for them.
The last thing they heard before blacking out was Roan's outburst of profanities and the sickening crunch of metal as they were broadsided by a black SUV.