A/N: Hey, so this is just a little something I wrote in an attempt to break the writer's block that was stopping me from writing Surviving, so don't worry – I've not abandoned that, even if it has taken me a while to upload a new chapter…
Anywho, in the words of Monty Python: 'Now for something completely different!' This story is completely AU and came up because I started a new job at a music shop and had a moment in which I wished I could be more badass at kicking annoying people out of the shop and then realised that Lexa would be perfectly badass at kicking people out of her shop (almost literally, you know?). And thus, this was born:
Bright, shiny possibilities…
"So, we've got twenty minutes to kill before the movie starts," Raven said, turning on her heel and all-but glaring around at the group. "What're we gonna do? Come on people; suggestions? But no crappy ones- yeah, I'm looking at you, Bellamy."
Clarke grinned; Bellamy was never going to live down the extreme crappiness of some of his recent decisions.
"Polis isn't far," Clarke suggested; the art gallery was always her favourite place to waste some time. "We could wonder around the gallery and-"
"We were there literally three days ago, Griffin," Raven cut her off, rolling her eyes with an affectionate smirk. "C'mon, let's broaden our minds, widen our interests!"
"How about the Music Box?" Octavia suggested.
"Oo, nice idea," Jasper hummed, his eyes lighting. "I love a good little jam in a music shop-"
"Hey," Raven interrupted again, her eyes on Octavia. "Isn't that the place that has some guy you think is hot who works there?"
"It could well be," the younger Blake agreed with a grin, ignoring Jasper's slightly disgruntled expression.
"Alrighty then!" Raven practically sang, as usual her slightly boisterous nature being enough to get everyone moving. "Let's go check out this guy O has the hots for."
"Really?" Clarke whined, even as she allowed herself to be dragged along. "We could be soaking in beautiful art and instead we're going to ogle some guy at his workplace?"
"Trust me," Octavia practically moaned, "this guy is all the beautiful art you could ask for."
Clarke rolled her eyes but couldn't help grinning at her friend.
"Uh, come on now," Bellamy tried to interject, evidently not exactly thrilled to be dragged along for a viewing of his sister's crush.
"Uh-uh! Nope; no decision making for you, Bells," Octavia cut him off.
"Yep!" Raven chimed in. "You sealed yourself as worst decision maker in the history of the universe; there's no coming back from that now."
Lexa heard them before she saw them. This was one of the most annoying things about the Saturday shift: groups of kids coming into the shop with the strange notion that they had the right to play the very expensive instruments that they had no intention of buying.
Ugh, she groaned to herself as she looked up from the guitar she was re-stringing and saw the five people, only a year or so younger than herself, sauntering in as if they owned the place; they looked old enough to know better. Perfect; another couple of alpha male wannabes trying to impress the easily impressed girls with their 'awesome' musicianship.
She watched trying not to sneer her disgust too openly as the scrawnier of the two guys immediately sought out the most expensive piano in the shop, sat down and starting playing – what a surprise – more Einaudi, just like every other wannabe who thought he was god's gift to music, throwing glances at the girls every now and then to check that they were still enraptured with his performance.
Much to Lexa's amusement however, and the boy's chagrin, all three of the girls had wandered off, apparently searching the shop for something of greater interest, and only the other boy remained.
"Keep an eye on this lot."
Lexa almost jumped out of her skin as her manager, Indra, appeared behind her. The woman had almost ninja skills when it came to popping up out of nowhere; it was a useful skill in a shop manager of a shop with a lot of seriously expensive items, but could be terrifying for her staff.
"Lincoln's just gone to the basement to grab another Champion 100, so we're a set of eyes down for the next five minutes."
Indra did not like it when large groups decided to hang out in her shop; that was usually how things got broken or stolen.
"I'm on it," Lexa replied, her heart rate returning to normal again. Much as these groups could be annoying, it could also be pretty satisfying chucking them out, or even just popping an inflated male ego or two. "I'll give them until I finish this and then I'll get rid of them."
"Ok," Indra nodded her approval before glowering at the boys by the piano again.
"So where's this human work of art then, O?" Raven demanded, peering around the shop.
Clarke herself felt only mildly curious on the matter, being really much more interested in the vast array of instruments in the room. It was years since she'd been in a music shop; her dad had been the musician in the family. She smirked to herself as Jasper sat at the piano and started playing; Einaudi was pretty enough, but it wasn't exactly as impressive as Jasper evidently thought it was.
You need to move on, Jasper, she thought to herself with a slight shake of the head; Octavia's never gonna go for you. Einaudi's not gonna change that.
She let her fingers trail lightly along the keys of another piano as she moved through the shop, her eyes drinking in the beautiful shapes of guitars and ukuleles and violins and clarinets and pianos and-
Holy shit.
Clarke was fairly certain the human work of art that Raven and Octavia were looking for had been referred to as male, but the work of art that had suddenly captivated Clarke was most definitely female.
Clarke swallowed, her mouth dry and her heart rate picking up as she took in the sight of probably the most beautiful human being she had ever seen.
The girl had long, curly brown hair that hung slightly messily down past her shoulders, some of it tied in intricate braids and framing an impossibly perfect face. She had high cheekbones and full lips and large black-rimmed rectangular glasses and the tiniest hint of a storming scowl. She was doing something to the guitar on the workbench in front of her, her fingers working quickly and intricately even as her eyes stayed fixed and glaring on Jasper and Bellamy by the piano.
Holy shit.
"I can't see him," she heard Octavia's voice dimly, but it was just enough to bring her out of her trance.
"Maybe he's not working today," Raven suggested, disappointment and amusement both evident in her voice.
"But it was a Saturday last time I saw him in here," Octavia grumbled, her eyes still roaming hopefully across the shop.
Clarke was having to work hard to stop herself from just standing and staring at the girl with the guitar.
"So where's this guy then?" Jasper asked in what was evidently supposed to be an off-hand kind of voice as he appeared beside them, having evidently given up on the piano as it had earned him no more attention.
"He doesn't seem to be here," Clarke answered him as nobody else seemed about to. Her voice squeaked a little, her throat still dry from her guitar-girl-induced trance; Raven noticed and narrowed her eyes at Clarke curiously.
No need to blush or to look at guitar-girl right now, Griffin, Clarke told herself firmly until she felt Raven's gaze leave her.
"Ah well," Jasper said, perking up a little and throwing his arms around Octavia and Raven's shoulders, oblivious to the facial expressions being exchanged between the girls. "His loss, eh? Ah cool!" he exclaimed, removing his arms from around them and approaching a wall of various musical accessories, grabbing something off the wall. "Check it out – a Gripmaster!"
"Uh, yeah," Octavia said, kindly removing as much sarcasm from her voice as possible. "Cool."
"What's it for?" Bellamy asked disinterestedly as he wandered over to join them.
"Uh, it's for, you know," Jasper said, holding up the strange looking object so they could see the four finger pads and the springs set against them, "strengthening your grip."
"Actually no," a soft but decidedly irritated voice interrupted from behind Clarke and they all turned to see guitar-girl stood there, a look of barely contained impatient disdain on her perfect face. She held out her hand, silently demanding that Jasper hand over the Gripmaster. "This is used by guitarists and other string players to increase finger strength and dexterity."
Clarke tried not to break out in a very hot flush as guitar-girl's full lips formed the words 'finger strength and dexterity'.
At this closer range, guitar-girl's nametag became legible; Clarke hadn't realised she'd be able to find the girl any sexier, but somehow the name 'Lexa' made it possible. The many-shaded green of her eyes didn't hurt either.
"Can I help you guys with anything in particular?" she asked, the impatient edge still clear in her voice.
Is it wrong that I'm kinda turned on by the fact that she's clearly annoyed at us?
"No, we're good thanks," Bellamy said, clearly affronted by her attitude.
To be fair, Clarke thought, it must be annoying when people come in to just hang out in their shop.
"Yeah," Jasper said, evidently terrified of Lexa but buoyed by Bellamy's support, "we're just browsing."
There was a small gasp from Raven and Octavia.
"Actually," Raven said, a wicked grin forming on her face, her eyes shooting past Lexa to a door at the back of the shop which had just opened, revealing a tall muscular man carrying what looked like a large-ish guitar amp, "I think we've just found what we came in here for."
She grabbed Octavia's hand and tugged her in the man's direction.
The guy was attractive, there was no denying it, but Clarke was a little mortified as Lexa glanced behind her to see what had caused Raven's mischievous delight and her eyebrows rose in yet more disdain.
"Seriously?" Lexa muttered, half under her breath.
"I know," Clarke found herself saying, apparently desperate to disassociate herself from that which Lexa was disdainful of. "It's kind of tragic really. I was all for hanging out at Polis; at least we're supposed to look around at the things we won't ever be able to afford to buy there."
Lexa turned mildly surprised green eyes towards her directly for the first time and Clarke felt like her skin was on fire she was so over-warm. The brunette seemed to consider her and her words for a long moment before she let out a small snuff of almost reluctant laughter. Clarke wanted to fist-bump the entire world in celebration.
Before either of them could say any more, however, Bellamy shifted uncomfortably behind her and called across the room to his sister who was now chatting happily with the attractive guy with the amp.
"Hey, O! We're gonna miss the movie if we stay here for much longer."
Both Raven and Octavia scowled at Bellamy but after a few more seconds of smiling conversation with amp-guy they made their way back towards the group.
"You, Bellamy Blake, are a knob," Raven said matter-of-factly as she and Octavia reached them. "But it's ok: we found out that the band he's in is playing at Grounders on Tuesday night, so we can go stalk him there free of you."
Clarke couldn't help looking at Lexa again, seeing the eyebrow raise and the smallest hint of a smirk which nearly drew an actual squeak of want from the blonde's throat before she caught herself.
Maybe, she thought as she followed the others back out of the shop, maybe I should get back into playing music again. I bet Lexa could give me some advice on where to start…with the music…
"New additions to the fan club?" Lexa smirked at Lincoln, joining him at the counter a few moments after the group had left. It wasn't the first time that her friend had been an object of interest in the eyes of their customers for more reasons than his knowledge of music.
"Shut up," he grinned, blushing. No matter how many times it happened, he always blushed. "Besides," he retorted, "by the way the blonde one was staring at you, I think you might have a fan club of your own."
"Shut up," she scoffed, trying not to feel the rumbling stir of a blush in her own cheeks and not to think about the intense blue of the girl's eyes. "I hear you invited yours to Grounders on Tuesday?" She eyed him carefully; he usually tried not to encourage interactions with the fan club, so this was a bit of a departure from the norm.
"Well…" he hesitated, his blush deepening, "she was… nice."
"Nice?" Lexa tried really hard not to let her smirk take over her face completely.
"Yeah, nice!" Lincoln protested. "And besides, I thought she'd probably tell blondie too so your fan club will be there as well."
"You told them I'll be there too?"
"Maybe."
Lexa was annoyed, or at least she wanted to be. She scowled at Lincoln but realised at his smirk that she hadn't managed to completely banish the grin that was fighting for its place on her face. It was hard to construe the thought that this girl, with the blonde hair and blue eyes, with the sexy gravelly voice, who apparently liked hanging out at Polis, could conceivably show at the gig on Tuesday as a bad thought, no matter how hard she tried.
Ugh, god; this means I might actually have to think about which baggy black tank top I'm going to wear.
Shit.
It had been three whole days since Clarke had spent ten minutes breathing air in the same room as the world's most beautiful human being and it had officially been far too long.
It was ridiculous, really, the strength of the ache in her chest to see Lexa again. She knew almost nothing about the girl and yet…
She can't possibly be as beautiful as I remember her being.
And that's a good thing. I'll see her at the gig tonight, be totally underwhelmed and be able to carry on with my life like a rational human being again.
She frowned, utterly unconvinced.
Alternatively, she'll blow my mind all over again. Maybe even more so than before – we're going to see her band play, for goodness sakes. Add musician-hotness to the already ridiculous Lexa-hotness and… well, I'm going to make a complete fool of myself, one way or another.
"Clarke!"
Raven's shout broke her from her thoughts as she turned the street corner and saw her friends huddled together against the cold as they waited for her outside the bar.
"Hey guys," she called to them as she approached, "sorry I'm late-"
"About time, Clarke," Octavia scolded through her shivers. "My butt is almost completely frozen off."
"Ha!" Raven practically cackled. "You know you would have been just as late if you hadn't had me there to cut short your primping time; Griffin here wasn't so lucky." She turned to Clarke, her eyes mischievous. "How many different outfits did you go through?"
"Six," Clarke admitted, a little shamefaced.
"Don't worry," Raven grinned, "O went through seven before settling on this-"
"And I'm still not sure-" Octavia tried to speak but-
"Oh for the love of science, you look great," Raven's long suffering voice was belied by her fond eye-rolling grin. "You both do. I have no doubt you will both have snagged yourselves a musician by the end of the night-"
"Raven!" Clarke tried to sound scandalised, but really, she was more just mortified by the undeniable fact that she was deeply and desperately hoping that Raven would be proved right.
They made their way inside, the enveloping warmth inside Grounders a distinct relief after the frosty air outside. It was already pretty busy inside, but they managed to find themselves a table and Raven went to get the drinks.
"So have you managed to convince yourself that she won't be as hot as you remember her being yet?" Octavia asked as they watched Raven flirt her way to discounted drinks.
"Sort of," Clarke grimaced. "I mean, she can't possibly be the most beautiful being in all the universe, not really. My brain is desperately trying to cling to that logic, but…"
"I was like that on Saturday," Octavia commiserated. "I kept being like 'oh he can't have been that great', but then there he was." She chuckled. "And what kind of ridiculous sexy name is Lincoln, anyway? Seriously; it's very unfair."
"I know!" Clarke exclaimed. "And Lexa too."
"Ah well," Octavia sighed as Raven returned, passing them each their drinks. The younger girl picked hers up and held it aloft. "Here's to hot musicians with unfairly sexy names."
"Cheers," Clarke agreed fervently, clinking her own glass against her friends' and taking a large, comforting swig.
Not for the first or last time that night, Raven cackled at her friends.
"Oh my god, Lex, will you stop that! I'm the drummer; we don't need extra percussion from you!" Anya's voice was accompanied by a vice-like grip on Lexa's jiggling knee. "Seeing you like this has been fricking hilarious, but there comes a point where the leg-bouncing has got to stop!"
"Let her be, Anya," Gustus rumbled in his deep voice, even as an amused grin hid behind his facial hair. The bassist spoke so rarely that when he spoke, even Anya would usually heed his words.
Lexa did her best to a) stop her leg-bounce, b) pretend that she wasn't as transparent to her bandmates as she apparently was and therefore c) pretend that this wasn't happening, that she wasn't being teased because she was so clearly and obviously nervous about this show. Lexa didn't do stage fright, not for over a decade which, considering she was only twenty, meant more than half her life. And Lincoln, with his big fat mouth, had let slip his theory on why she was suddenly so nervous.
Anya had been amused enough when she found out that Lincoln had invited the newest member of his fan club to the gig; when she'd found out that not only did the girl have a very pretty friend who had apparently been staring at Lexa like she was 'some kind of revelation', but that Lexa had blushed and smiled as a result of this…Anya had been insufferable.
"There's nothing to worry about, Lexa," Lincoln said in his best soothing voice which, of course, only made Lexa want to smack him more. "Blondie was absolutely smitten from the first moment; there's no way she doesn't show up tonight."
"Look," Lexa said carefully, trying not to give in to the urge for violence and also trying not to smile and blush, "I'm just trying to sit here and quietly eat my sandwich. I'm not nervous, I really couldn't care less as to whether or not some blonde girl I spoke to for all of half a second on Saturday shows up or not. It's just a gig; nothing special."
"You know," Anya drawled with sarcastic speculation, "I think I just got an idea for a new song. It could be all about this girl who's never scared of anything; we could call it D.E.N.I.A.L. – what do you think?"
Lexa glared at her, but wasn't able to summon enough force in it to make it at all effectual, as proven by the sniggering eye-roll that Anya gave her.
"You are hilarious right now, Lex; there's no point denying it."
"Yeah well," Lexa huffed, a smirk sneaking its way onto her own face, "at least I'm making some kind of positive contribution to the group then, aren't I?"
The bickering and the banter continued as the band hastily ate their pre-gig meal. They'd been down to Grounders earlier in the evening to soundcheck and so now came the rather rushed forty minute time slot between soundcheck and the gig's listed start time in which they had to eat some food and get stage-ready. As usual when they gigged at Grounders, they'd found their way to Subway and Lexa was trying to take comfort from the familiar formica tables and the familiar sandwich and the familiar voices around her.
She had no idea how on earth The Blonde Girl, which was by now a more or less official title in her head, had managed to worm her way into pretty much every single thought in Lexa's brain. Their interactions had been minimal at best and mostly tarnished by fact that Lexa had only come over to throw The Blonde Girl's friends out of the shop, had in fact quite pointedly humiliated at least one of her friends.
But apparently, somewhere in the seconds' worth of eye contact and in the 35 words that The Blonde Girl had spoken to her (and yes, she'd gone over them in her head and, yes, she'd counted), somewhere in there had been something that stuck in a way that was truly impossible to ignore. It was kind of ridiculous.
The fact that The Blonde Girl's deep blue eyes and bright gold hair and that outrageously appealing little freckle on her top lip kept flashing in Lexa's photographic memory was really not helping either.
Get a grip, she scolded herself. Either she'll be there and you might have a chance at talking to her, or she won't and you'll be able to move on. No trauma, either way. It'll be fine.
She wasn't particularly convincing, even to herself.
A/N: Thanks for reading! As I said, I just wrote this to break some writer's block, so I don't really have a massive plan for it. Let me know if you want it to continue, if not I'll just let it sit here as a pleasant little opening of some possibilities until next time I need to break writer's block on Surviving…