They weren't best friends in the traditional way.
Clarke and Lexa had been friends for as long as either cared to remember. Although, they hadn't touched since the day they met, that wasn't an obstacle so much as a challenge; a way to make things all the more interesting.
Clarke is eight years old sitting in the hospital waiting room- her mother works in the ER as a surgeon.
Clarke has always had a tendency to get involved in other peoples affairs. It isn't out of nosiness so much as Clarke is a natural leader and protects those around her. She wants to help people, Clarke can't bear to see anyone unhappy.
Especially the day when a small brunette girl is carried into the building with a split eyebrow while Clarke is having lunch with her mother.
She isn't meant to be in the operating room but the cafeteria is just across the hall and Clarke is curious. She peers in through the windows to the operating room, which are usually covered up. However, the little girl is still conscious and only needs a few stitches.
Clarke watches as her mom assures, who Clarke assumes is the girl's mother, that she will be fine. Clarke's mother leads the woman out of the room and down the hall to the reception desk.
In a split second Clarke decides the girl looks sad and she resolves to sneak inside the operating room. Clarke ducks around the corner and waits for her mom to pass before creeping back around the corner and through the open door. She is met with the brown haired girl, who is burning holes through her sneakers with a cherry sucker sticking out of her mouth.
"Cherry's gross." Clarke says drawing the girl's attention up from her battered sneakers. The girl's eyes are wide with surprise and their green reminds Clarke of the trees in the forest when her father takes her camping every summer. Those same eyes quickly narrow, causing the girl to flinch when the action tugs at her fresh stitches.
"Nuh, uh, cherry's the best!" The brunette huffs stubbornly as she hops off the examination table. Her words are barely coherent due to the sucker still in her mouth.
Clarke shakes her head, "Blueberry's better." Clarke giggles and they stare at each other for a moment before Clarke sticks out her hand, "I'm Clarke."
Lexa removes the sucker from her mouth, her lips, bright red from the candy, pout as she seems to be thinking extra hard about something. She turns her green doe-like eyes back on Clarke before gripping the blonde's hand with her own sticky one. "Lexa."
"Hi, Lexa." Clarke chirps, a bright smile on her lips.
Lexa simply shoves what is left of her sucker back into her mouth and rocks back and forth on her heels.
"Wanna be my friend?" Clarke asks, ducking her head to see Lexa's face. Clarke isn't sure what drew her to this girl- beyond wanting to cheer her up- but she wants her- needs her. The green-eyed girl smiles, hesitates.
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Lexa murmurs.
Clarke's brow furrows, and she is going to point out that Lexa has just argued with her about cherry suckers and therefore they have already spoken and its too late anyway. However, Clarke is Abby and Jake Griffin's daughter and she's a smart eight year old.
"We can be best friends." Clarke suggests, a glimmer in her eye and Lexa sees the sky reflected there.
Lexa looks up at Clarke like she isn't sure if becoming best friends five minutes after you meet qualifies as "not strangers." Lexa thinks her parents probably wouldn't think so but her parents are gone and she's lonely. Lexa nods.
"Good." Clarke declares. "First rule; no cherry suckers. Cherry's gross."
Lexa giggles, "Nuh, uh, cherry's the best."
Lexa's a foster child, Clarke finds out. They don't have any means of contact and Lexa is meant to finally move in with her aunt in Illinois. At least that's what the social worker says when she gets back from filling out Lexa's medical papers- turns out she wasn't Lexa's mother.
A week later Lexa is back in that same room in the ER, she tore her stitches and its the day before she's supposed to move halfway across the country to live with her aunt. Seeing what is going on, Abby- Clarke's mother- gives the little girl the number for the landline and tells Lexa to call anytime and not to rip out her stitches again.
Clarke and Lexa talk everyday after that; making up stories and playing games through the phone. Abby makes sure they get to video chat at least once a week. Its the first time her daughter has expressed interest in anyone her age, aside from Wells- her boss's son.
When they enter middle school and Lexa is bullied and comes home with a black eye and a three day suspension Clarke is concerned until Lexa tells her what happened to the other guy. Clarke laughs and resists the urge she feels to protect Lexa because she knows she can take care of herself.
Lexa gets a cell phone when she is fourteen- a year after Clarke- the same year Clarke's father dies.
Lexa keeps Clarke together, even if she can't stand right next to her and hug her or hold her hand, she is there. Clarke thinks Lexa is the only person she cares to be there.
It becomes tradition when they enter high school that they Skype everyday when they get home. Sometimes they do homework, or Lexa talks about whatever her newest interest is, or maybe Clarke shows her shots of her latest sketches. Sometimes they just sit there in each other's presence like words aren't worthy of what they want to say- need to say.
Clarke and Lexa don't need to make conversation to connect- to fill the silence- they revel in the simple presence of the other and the sounds of them going about their business. They had always been close, even being so far apart. The two of them end every call promising that someday they will meet again.
Lexa is the highlight of Clarke's day and Clarke Lexa's. Clarke comes home from school everyday only to rush upstairs and hop onto her crimson colored duvet to call Lexa.
Lexa, having opted for online school after their sophomore year, eagerly awaits Clarke's call, while completing whatever course work she has or scribbling down her thoughts in her journal.
The brunette likes to keep her thoughts organized but through all the scribbles in her journal it doesn't seem to be working anymore. Lexa pretends to wonder why but she already knows.
Despite being able to sleep in as long as she wants due to online school, Lexa always makes it a point to be up early- definitely not to send Clarke a good morning text to make sure she actually gets out of bed; the golden haired girl likes her sleep.
Clarke always gets up when she hears the familiar text tone confirming, that yes, it is Lexa. Clarke is most certainly not getting up so she can catch Lexa before she goes out for her morning run. Clarke doesn't how how she does it, but Lexa loves running and Clarke lo- Lexa is her best friend.
Their senior year Clarke continues to Skype Lexa everyday after school and Lexa continues to answer. Everyday Clarke tells herself she'll finally tell Lexa how she feels and everyday she sees the beautiful girl through her screen and the fear of losing her rises in Clarke's chest.
Clarke will ask her about her day and she'll listen to the sound of Lexa's voice.
Lexa graduates early from her online schooling program, she doesn't make a big deal of it. She tells Clarke on their usual Skype call and when Clarke smiles and gushes and tells Lexa how amazing she is, the green-eyed girl can't help but think back to the day they met. Lexa lifts a hand to her head, gently gliding over the scar on her brow-bone as she thinks of the radiant girl with hair like the sun who wanted to be best friends.
Clarke has been in relationships; two in her entire high school career. Needless to say, neither have worked out. Clarke has always held the number one spot for someone else, anyway.
Lexa hates planes. She hates the idea of being so far from the ground, far from security. Lexa has always been strong, but she feels alone and desolate like she is watching the whole world spin without her.
Maybe, in a way, she is but, when she looks out the small airplane window and sees Clarke reflected in sky, she doesn't care.
Clarke is dressed for graduation, in the stupid cherry red gown and that god-awful cap with the tassel hanging off the side. And her class had a rehearsal for the graduation ceremony but Clarke can't seem to remember which side that stupid tassel is supposed to hang. She is already missing her usual Skype with Lexa due to the ceremony, not to mention she hardly has any idea what she's really doing.
Clarke knows she should be excited and she can call Lexa later and tell her all about it. However, she can't help but feel the whole thing is pointless if the person she cares about the most isn't here.
Clarke is snapped out of her wallowing by her friends gripping her by the arms and pulling her up onto the risers. They are set up outside in front of several rows of uncomfortable looking fold out chairs. Clarke surveys the gathering attendants from her seat on the right side of the risers but there is only one pair of eyes she wants to see looking back at her. Clarke knows Lexa lives halfway across the country, it doesn't make her feel any better. Clarke tells herself the next time she talks to Lexa she is going to tell her the truth.
The ceremony has begun and not even 15 minutes in Clarke notices someone in the back walking in late. They fumble awkwardly with their suit jacket as they slip into the back row. Octavia's name is called and Clarke's attention is dragged away from the late-comer and how they could possibly be late to an event that hadn't started for an hour after the time printed on the schedule. Clarke takes a deep breath and smiles over at Octavia as the dark haired girl makes her way back to her seat.
Clarke looks back out at the attendees, her eyes finding the person in the back, again. She stares at the girl, squinting while she attempts to subtly crane her neck to see better.
Suddenly a small smirk cracks across the brunette's face. A smirk that Clarke looks forward to seeing everyday after school. Sure, it was over Skype (which easily has room for improvement) but Clarke wouldn't mistake her for anyone else and when Lexa raises her head a little higher and Clarke catches her eyes she can't help but reciprocate.
And if Clarke can't wipe that smile off her face after that, who can blame her?
And if she almost misses her name being called and the boy sitting next to her has to elbow her in the shoulder, thats fine.
And if she runs off stage when all the diplomas have been handed out and catapults herself into the arms of the green-eyed brunette girl with the cherry sucker who promptly greets her with, "Hello, stranger," no one can blame her for that either.
And maybe they kiss and maybe- just maybe- neither one is sure who leans in first only that their lips are pressed together and this is the first contact they've had since that handshake a decade before.
And neither needs to say anything but Clarke can't help but think that this is their someday.
A/N-
I haven't written Clexa in awhile so I figured I would do so. This was posted yesterday on my tumblr (or maybe longer if I forgot to post over here). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Do the comment thing for me, it would be much appreciated. ;)
tumblr: bluejae93 (if you maybe wanted to know or follow me, but whatever its cool)
*flies off in spaceship*