~ Part I ~
The first snowfall was still the most magical one to Lexa. It was the beginning of winter and she was just returning from yet another pre-seasonal training trip on the nearby 3000 m high Mount Weather. Lexa was a paramedic and joined the Search and Rescue Team of the region a few seasons ago. Besides her incredible abilities in skiing and boarding, she was the highest trained person in her unit with additional knowledge in rock and ice climbing, backcountry navigation, and survival; wisdom of having lived in the area for almost all her life.
She stepped off the cable car at the base station, waved to her colleagues and trudged slowly through the small streets of Polis, a village at the foot of the giant. The snow up the mountain was already stacking high and Lexa mused ski season would start earlier this year, but down in the valley it was the first visit of the cold guest. Although she adored the region all year round, winter season held her captive more than the others. She loved the stillness of the covered world, which only existed when the whiteness took over. Needless to say, Lexa loved the outdoors, cherished wildlife in general and was fascinated by anything provided by nature, including the magnificent, unique snowflakes currently wafting through the air, riding on the cold drift coming down from the mountain. She was very close to sticking out her tongue to taste them, when a yell disturbed the peace.
"Lex. You coming in or what?" She turned towards the voice and nodded, crossed the road and entered the bar through the door held open by her partner in crime and oldest friend Anya Rivers, who worked as a ski instructor in winter and a mountain guide for the rest of the year.
"Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses, I'm here now." Lexa sighed and plopped down on an empty bar stool, slowly shedding her winter layers.
"Something wrong?" The dirty blonde asked pushing a steaming cup of tea towards the other woman.
"Nope." Lexa smiled softly in lieu of a thank you. "Just enjoying how quiet it is at the moment."
"That'll change soon."
"Any dates yet?"
"They're talking next week." Anya eyed her knowingly.
"Great." Lexa mumbled. Although she could talk endlessly about the things she loved around Mount Weather, there was one thing Lexa hated passionately – the carelessness and willingness to take risks of the majority of guests when it came to winter sports.
"Well, it'll have its perks." The dirty-blonde smiled.
"Such as?" Lexa asked and wished she hadn't the second the smile morphed into a naughty grin.
"The three musketeers will be here soon and I know you're eager to see her."
The stressing of the last word made Lexa roll her eyes and groan out exasperatedly before she let her head fall onto the bar. "She's still doing this?" She murmured into her oversized jumper.
"As far as I'm aware." Anya shrugged.
"Are you in contact with them?" Lexa lifted her head and glared at her accusingly.
"I might have been messaging with Raven…" Anya trailed off and jumped out of her friend's reach, who was trying to hit her shoulder.
"Traitor." Lexa growled, but stopped her attempts to shove the other.
"For what?" Anya settled back onto her chair with a big grin.
"We hate them!" The brunette burst out.
Anya shook her head vigorously. "No yo mi amigo, only you hate them!" She pointed at Lexa with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you think it's time for a truce?"
Lexa opened her mouth, but snapped it shut a second later. It was true, she'd expressed a deep-rooted antipathy for all three women, but she couldn't understand why, all of a sudden, she was the only one. "They're making everything so much more complicated." She complained after a moment of contemplating her next words. "They make my life so much more complicated." She clarified with finality in her voice.
"If not for them, someone else would do the job. At least they're fun to be around. You should try to transform your far away pining into an actual conversation with her this season." Anya laughed out loud.
"I'm not pining for Clarke fucking Griffin." Lexa huffed out and rolled her eyes at the same time watching Anya's sceptical face. "She's a nightmare of each rescuer in the region." She added with annoyance.
"Nightmare is probably the antonym of what's on every rescuer's mind."
"Anya please." Lexa scoffed. "She's a half-naked, obnoxiously loud, overly cheerful bartender in an icy igloo-bar on top of a mountain. She flirts with everything that is of human shape and consequentially endangers everyone up there. Including my team for when we have to come and get her drunken patrons' asses down the mountain."
"Oh my." Anya wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "Frustrated much?" When Lexa just silently continued to sip her tea, she went on. "Are your AA batteries not as long lasting as they used to be?"
"What?" The brunette finally reacted, coughing up the tea she had just swallowed and glared angrily at her friend. "This is…" She stopped and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand whilst shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't even know what to say."
"Yeah, cos it's true. You've got the hots for her -"
"Do not." She interrupted, looking around checking whether any of the other people in the bar were paying attention to them or their subject of discussion.
"You've got the hots for Clarke…" Anya purposefully clarified her words with a smile. "But you hide behind your incredibly dim-witted prejudices to not give in, because you think she'll hurt you. You know I'm right. You know I know you."
"This is stupid." Lexa stood up.
"You're a moron for not talking to her -" Anya pointed out stopping the woman with a hand on her arm from leaving.
"I did talk to her. More than once and she's all flirt and no brain." Lexa hissed hating every word of their conversation. It was an annual thing for the two of them and before last year Anya was all for the hating, until she started spending time with the three. Lexa still resented her friend for that. It was also around that time the dirty-blonde started suspecting more behind Lexa's animosity towards the others. Especially Clarke. Foremost Clarke. Always Clarke.
"… Talking to her like a normal human being and not yell or growl or snarl at her." Anya finished her sentence with a pointed glare.
"They're the reason why so many stay until closing hours and then try to get down the slopes drunken and tired. I wish I could get them to stop, but she's ignoring all of my requests."
"It's not up to her or Raven or Octavia to decide to stop. They're hired by Mount Weather Corp to entertain. It's their job, Lexa. You're barking up the wrong fucking tree instead of scratching your itch."
"I don't have any itches to scratch." Lexa huffed quietly, embarrassment evident in her posture.
"Yeah right." Anya laughed shortly, before sobering up. "Let them do their job and focus on your own." She said with finality. "If you send a letter to the big bosses you might regret it when they lose their jobs. Part of the success of the season and your generous salary are the services provided by them and so many others."
"So? I'm sure as a stripping bartender you easily find a new place of employment."
"A what?" It was Anya's turn to look like a deer caught in headlights. "No one's stripping." She defended, shaking her head. She looked at her friend and narrowed her eyes. "Have you actually bothered to visit the igloo?"
Lexa shook her head. "Well first of all there aren't many clothes to take off to start with anyway and secondly, I've been always way too busy to collect their victims and help them down the mountain." She stated angrily.
"Do us all a favour and educate yourself." Anya stood up, left some money on the bar and turned once more to Lexa, waiting until she had her undivided focus. "You think you know it all? Well, newsflash Woods, the world isn't black and white and grey comes in more than 50 shades."
"Home sweet home." Clarke exhaustedly breathed out and flopped down onto the carpet covered floor of the chalet they always occupied whilst being in Polis.
"Griffin get up. You're blocking the entrance."
"Nope." She shook her head and spread her extremities like a star fish. "I'm not gonna move till much later."
"Fine." Raven shrugged and stepped over her friend making sure to get as much wet snow onto her as possible.
"Ray!" The blonde complained loudly. "That wasn't needed." She pouted and finally stood up. "You're such a bitch when you haven't eaten."
"I'm hangry. Fuck off."
"You know how she is." A familiar voice laughed from the doorway and the two women looked over.
"Anya!" Both exclaimed happily at the same time.
"Hey there losers." The addressed swaggered into the house and leaned against the nearby wall crossing her arms. Raven looked at her from the kitchen a few feet away, smiles growing gradually on both women's faces.
"Right, I'm out of here." Clarke stated awkwardly witnessing the staring contest between her friend and newcomer. "Where's O?" When she didn't receive an answer, she nodded to herself, grabbed the keys and pushed past Anya to leave. She closed the door and stopped for a moment to button up her jacket to keep warm against the bitter cold that was a constant resident in the village during the winter months. She already loathed the days she had to work, knowing it would take hours to get warm afterwards.
"If I were you I wouldn't go in there right now." She stopped Octavia in her attempt to enter the cabin.
"Huh? Why? Where're you going?"
"Anya showed up."
"Already?"
"Yup and I'm going to get groceries. Fancy joining me?"
Octavia immediately dropped the ski-gear she had carried and followed Clarke who had already started walking down the little slope into the village centre.
"How come she knew we're already here?"
"I think Ray might have messaged her a few days ago."
"God, she's so needy." The brunette grinned whilst shaking her head.
"Well, who isn't?" Clarke laughed and winked.
"True that. So…" Octavia trailed off with a pointed look on her face.
"Not gonna talk about her." The blonde uttered, blushing at the mere thought of a certain someone.
"I wouldn't have thought you'd be interested in talking at all."
"Stop it O, please."
"Ok, but don't you want to at least try? It's been three years of you guys either yelling or mentally stripping each other whenever your paths cross. To be honest, if someone googles the term 'eye-fucking' a picture of you two should pop up."
"Haha, you're so funny. Not." Clarke huffed embarrassed. "Besides, Lexa made it quite obvious, she's not interested in any form of communication." She pressed through her clenched jaw. "Verbal or non-verbal." She added a moment later in a disappointed mumble. She had been intrigued by the brunette beauty the minute she'd laid her eyes on her, but the next second had popped the bubble when said woman had stormed over and ordered them to stop serving alcohol to already drunk people. "She hates me." She finally settled on with a shrug of acceptance.
"Her actions might be debatable, but she's into you. Maybe you guys need to actually talk?"
"What do you mean with she's into me?" Clarke made quotation marks around Octavia's words, staring at her questioningly. "The last time I had the pleasure of being in the same room with Lexa Woods was when she accused me of 'slutting it up' and endangering innocent people. Where, dear oracle, do you get your intel from?"
"Wow." Octavia grinned. "Did she say that?"
"Yes… well not in those words, but indirectly I'm sure she meant it that way." Clarke sighed. "I don't understand where she has that idea from. I would never be with patrons privately, full stop."
"No offence Griffin, but people flock to the igloo to see you."
"To see us." She corrected the brunette with an eyeroll. "If I could stop working here I would, but I need the money and you know that. I'm not going to apologise for what I have to do to afford my dream. Besides, dancing keeps me warm in that freaking cold dome."
"Well I know that, Ray knows that, but Lexa doesn't. Again, you guys need to talk." Octavia didn't disguise the fact, that she was bored by the subject. She sounded like a broken record having repeated the words more often than she can count.
They reached the small grocery store and stepped inside, visibly shaking at the temperature change before grabbing a small basket.
"I'm not even sure I want anything from her anymore. Like you said, it's been three years. I should move on." Clarke mumbled insecurely.
"Move on from nothing should be easy." Octavia nodded dropping a box of peppermint tea into the basket.
"Not if the nothing is as stunningly beautiful as…"
They moved along the next aisle when Clarke stopped mid-sentence, eyes glued straight ahead.
"Clarke?" Octavia asked, having been loading the basket with pasta. Upon no reaction, she looked up to check what was captivating her friend. "Ah, Lexa Woods." She finished Clarke's sentence and grinned.
"Fuck my life." The blonde talked under her breath but couldn't take her eyes off of Lexa who stood two aisles further away, chatting with an elderly woman.
"You'd rather fuck her by the look on your face." Octavia snickered. "So much for moving on." She added after a moment and poked her elbow into Clarke's side to get her to stop staring.
"Ouch!" She returned to reality, blushing harder than ever and glared at her friend. "That hurt." She hissed, but grasped the basket more tightly in her hand, squared back her shoulders and looked up and right into the emerald-green of Lexa's eyes, which were wide in surprise and something else she couldn't quite identify from the distance. Clarke awkwardly lifted her empty hand in a greeting and smiled at the women a few feet away, but dropped her arm quickly at the scowl on the younger one's face. Her angry frown wiped off the blonde's smile in seconds.
"What the hell have I done to her to earn being hated so much?" She pressed through her clenched jaw and followed Octavia along the row of groceries with her eyes fixed onto the floor.
"It's probably the lack of doing things to her which has her panties in a twist." Octavia mused absentmindedly, studying the content of the ready-made pasta sauce.
"You're seeing things." Clarke shook her head and glanced back at Lexa who had returned to her conversation. "She's angry at me for whatever. She's not interested in anything but settling the score."
"I'm sure she'd like to score at one point."
"What the hell Octavia?" Clarke exclaimed, bridging her nose with two fingers. "Why can't I have a normal conversation with either of you guys? Ray is just as awful."
"Because," the smaller woman turned to face her frustrated friend, "you're obvious and she's obvious, but both of you have decided to be oblivious." She voiced her explanation with an impressive snarl to her voice.
"Are you mad at me now too?" The blonde looked at her in confusion.
"Mad? No." Octavia shook her head. "Tired of? Yeah." She added with an exhausted expression. "You guys are too much."
They looked at each other for a moment, before Clarke stomped her foot, turned around and left the store, throwing "that's just fucking great" over her shoulder. Octavia watched her with a knowing frown, but continued the shopping nevertheless, entering the next aisle with the two women they've seen earlier.
"Good afternoon Mrs Moore." She greeted loudly with a big smile. "And yeah, hi Lexa." She added dismissively a second later.
"Hello Octavia. Oh it's so nice to see you're back." The older woman smiled, clasping her withered, warm hands around the small brunette's when Lexa nodded to Octavia in her usual stoic greeting. "Was that Clarke with you? She's always so sweet with me."
"Yes Mrs Moore. I'm sure she'll stop by soon and keep you some company as usual. She's in a bit of a bad mood at the moment." Octavia explained slowly, watching Lexa out of the corner of her eyes.
"Oh no. I hope she'll be ok. I could really use her help." Mrs Moore exclaimed worriedly.
Lexa's eyes wandered through the store searching for the blonde, before turning back to follow the conversation, but not understanding what's being said. "Help? If you need someone…" She trailed off waiting for more details. Her intentions clear in her suggestion.
"Oh no dear. It's kind of you to offer but I'm sure you're not suited to help me."
It was written all over Lexa's face that she doubted Clarke had anything to offer she couldn't. "Um, why?"
"Clarke is helping me with my memories." The old woman whispered conspiratorially.
"Your memories?" Lexa asked, gaze flickering from Octavia to Mrs Moore and back.
"I've seen so many things in my life, though I have nothing but the memories in my head. Clarke's helping me visualising my past."
"How?" Lexa was truly flabbergasted. First of all she never would have thought Clarke was someone who would help others, least the older generation. Secondly, it seemed the blonde had more up her sleeve besides flirting nonstop and serving drinks along with peeks down her cleavage and whatever else she was up to.
"She's painting for me."
"She's painting for you?"
"She's painting for her." Octavia repeated as well grinning wickedly, amused by Lexa's facial lapse.
"I didn't know." Lexa managed after a moment in a quiet voice.
"Oh dear, you needn't knowing." The older woman supportively stroke Lexa's upper arm a few times.
"No Mrs Moore," Octavia offered with a biting smile. "Lexa meant this in a different way. You might just have helped her learning to never judge a book by its cover." She challenged with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh that's good." The oblivious elderly smiled. "Now, if you excuse me, I need to finish my shopping."
"Do you need help?" Lexa and Octavia asked at the same time, baffling the taller brunette once more. 'How come such simple, party-crazy, not caring for the world women could be more than that?' Lexa huffed at her own disability to understand what was happening. She thought she knew all there was to know about them. About Clarke. It seems she was wrong and it was starting to grate on her.
"I'm doing the grocery run anyway, I'll help you." Octavia added a second later and offered her arm for support.
"Thank you dear." She looped her arm through the presented nook. "Oh Lexa, have a nice day."
"Yeah sure…" Lexa smiled and lifted her hand. "No problem." She said quietly, watching the two disappear behind a stack of toilet paper. She only lowered her arm when she felt her mobile vibrating. "Hello?" She distractedly answered the call and received laughter instead of a greeting.
"Hello?" The voice mimicked. "Who are you and what happened to my friend?"
"Anya..." She drawled lowly. "Not funny." Lexa huffed whilst passing the cashier with a wave.
"Well, well. You normally sound more commandeering than muddled when you pick up the phone and having witnessed a certain blonde storming back in a foul mood makes me think you guys have seen each other." Anya teased.
"And the reason for your call…?" Lexa stepped out of the store and inhaled the cold air.
"What happened this time?"
"None of your business and what do you mean with 'witnessed'? Are you at their house?"
"I was." The answer came warily.
"Raven." Lexa sighed and crossed the road.
It was meant a statement rather than question, but Anya confirmed needlessly. "Indeed."
"Fucking hell. Your hormones are demanding." Lexa laughed out loud.
"So were yours if you'd let them. Anyway, what happened?" Anya repeated curiously.
"Tell you when I get home. I need some time to think."
"Don't hurt yourself."
"Asshat." She snapped and disconnected the call a second later. She needed to work through the various contradicting feelings inside of her after learning those new things about Clarke. There was anger versus admiration, ignorance versus interest and loathing versus liking. She closed her eyes for a moment and simply breathed in and out, before turning to walk along the sidewalk towards the exit of the village and the beginning of rough mountain terrain.
"Do I have to stalk her down and hurt her?" Raven asked carefully, joining her friend on the couch.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cut your 'welcome back celebrations' short." Clarke answered instead ignoring Raven's words.
"Nah, all good princess. Nothing I can't get any time."
"Uggh, you're awful."
"What happened?" Raven poked her playfully.
"She still hates me."
The brunette didn't need more intel to know who they were talking about. "Right… you sound surprised."
Clarke shook her head. "Here's the thing. I simply don't know what the hell I've done to deserve such deep-rooted hatred. If I knew, I could apologise or, you know, rectify it maybe, but I… I. Simply. Don't. Know."
"Anya and I were thinking to lock you both in a room until you talk it out, but-"
"You and Anya talk about us?" Clarke deadpanned with a smirk, temporarily forgetting her misery.
"Contrary to the public opinion, we do actually talk as well." Raven winked unfazed by the interruption.
Clarke grimaced at the statement, but sobered quickly. "I don't think confining her in a room is a good idea. She's like a feral animal. I might get hurt."
"More than you already are." Raven agreed sombrely.
"Yeah." Clarke lowered her head in defeat. "Nevermind, I'm stupid for hoping."
"Want me to talk to Lexa?"
"No." Clarke quickly looked up with a determined stare. "Don't get involved. This isn't high school. I get over it."
"It's affecting you, and Octavia and I worry."
"Octavia made it quite clear that she's done bothering."
"Don't Clarke. Don't let the unresolved problem between you and Lexa come between us. We are your friends and so is Anya."
"What has Anya told you?"
"Nothing really. She doesn't want to come between us and Lexa either. She's just tired of the tension."
"That's exactly what O said." Clarke sighed at the same time the front door opened and the small brunette pushed through with two bags of groceries.
"What did I say?"
"That you're tired of me." The blonde offered quickly and Octavia rolled her eyes.
"No, I didn't mean you as a person. I'm exhausted of the fight between you guys." She corrected her friend. "I'm never tired of you dummy. I love you." She added and hugged the woman pulling her up from the couch and towards the kitchen. "Who else said they were tired of this?"
They joined in and helped unpacking and storing the food, whilst telling Octavia what Anya had said when Clarke's phone rang.
"It's Wallace." She informed the other two before picking it up, putting the call on speaker. "Good day Sir." She greeted politely.
"Ms Griffin. This is Cage Wallace… I assume you and your colleagues are ready for the job as usual?" He probed.
"Yes, all three of us arrived this afternoon. We've been told season will start in a few days."
"Opening is in two days, but I need you up there as soon as possible. The igloo is bigger than the last years and I want more people to leave their money with you. Get it?"
"Sir, with all due respect." Clarke started. "We already have trouble with the resident authorities in regards of the safety of our guests -"
"I've been told about the local guard dog." He laughed dismissively. "There's nothing she can do. Inform the police if she's harassing you or the other girls."
"But -"
"Griffin!" He called out and she snapped her mouth shut. "Just do your job and leave the rest to me. Am I making myself clear?"
Clarke clenched her jaw violently, Raven pretended to kill him and Octavia shook her head in disbelief. "Crystal." She finally managed through her locked teeth.
"Great. Get up there first thing tomorrow to set everything ready and get used to the layout."
"Yes." Clarke replied shortly. "Anything else?"
"Make me rich." Without further nothings the call was disconnected and left the three women steaming angrily in their temporary home.
"What the fuck?"
"Shit!"
"I fucking hate this job!"
"So... Ready for business?" Anya and Lexa were on their way up in the small four people cabin.
"Born ready."
"Someone is unnaturally chipper this morning. Slept well?"
"As a matter of fact, yes, I did." Lexa confirmed. She had taken a long walk the day before and came to the conclusion that she would not think about anything related to the infuriating blonde and just bury any lingering, confusing feeling in the deepest mental box she could find in her head. By the time she'd arrived back at her home, Anya had been out again and she'd enjoyed a quiet evening on her own. The fact that her friend had not had the time to interrogate her about her run in just added to her positive attitude.
"Good. Good." Anya nodded. She had met up with Raven once more last night and learned what had happened as she had left as soon as Clarke had stormed back into the cabin. Instead of ruining Lexa's mood by talking about the bartender, she decided to voice the other elephant in the room. "So I talked to Murphy this morning and he told me that they had to build a bigger igloo bar per request of Mount Weather Corp." She said carefully.
"What? How big are we talking?" Lexa asked surprised.
"Almost double the usual size."
"You're kidding. Please tell me you're joking An." The brunette stared at her friend incredulously.
"Unfortunately not. Look!" She pointed to the white dome in the distance.
"They can't be serious. That'll house double the amount of people." Lexa exclaimed with her hands wildly gesticulating. "Double the amount of drunken people." She added almost like an afterthought with horror in her eyes.
"I heard that's the plan. They want more money. Change in ownership or something."
"I'll talk to Sheriff Kane about this. We need to get the police involved. I won't stand by and watch this disaster unfold."
"He can't do anything about it Lex."
"It's prohibited to drive under the influence."
"Yeah well, unless someone tries to get down the hill with a car there's nothing anyone can do." Anya pointed out.
"I will not watch." Lexa repeated angrily clenching and unclenching her hands into fists.
They sat in silence for a few breaths until Anya calmly put her hand on Lexa's knee. "Do me one favour though. Don't go blowing up into Clarke's face."
"What? Why would you bring her up now?" Lexa ground her jaw forcefully at the change of subject. So much about mental compartmentalization. The box has just been automatically transported back from the depth of her mind to the forefront of her conscience waiting to be opened and thoroughly inspected.
"Because she's always the one who channels your anger and she's not even the one in charge." They arrived on top and exited the small cabin.
"She's just as guilty." Lexa stomped off desperately trying to ignore the storm of emotions creating havoc inside her. 'Not dealing with it,' she kept repeating like a mantra.
"It's her job." Anya called after her and jogged a few feet to keep up with her friend.
"She could do anything." Deflecting. Handing the guilt and responsibility to someone else. Lexa had her very own coping mechanisms.
"Maybe she can't." Anya offered experimentally.
"Maybe she simply doesn't want to because she loves it so much? I mean, being wanted by literally everyone must feel fucking amazing." Lexa said distractedly, eyes focused on a snow mobile parked at the side of the cable car station.
"Everyone?" Anya smirked. "Did you actually finally confirm you want her?"
Lexa froze in her exploration and slowly straightened up from her crouched position, facing her friend. "I wasn't talking about me." Annoyed green eyes stared provokingly.
"Sure, you weren't." Anya smirked unconvinced and instead of dropping the matter she poked the bear a little more. "So, you're not included in 'everyone'?" She emphasized laughingly.
Any other time, the ski instructor would have expected a huff and puff kind of answer combined with the signature stalking off, but this time all she got was a drawled "Anyaaa…" and a friendly shove.
"Lexaaaaaaaaaa…" She imitated childishly and pushed her back.
"You suck." Lexa wanted to stay annoyed but couldn't help the grin forming on her face. She allowed herself the slip-up and acknowledged Anya's suspicion by not denying them. They all but sobered up when Anya stage-whispered all of a sudden, "Be nice. They're coming."
Lexa's head whipped around quickly and she watched Raven, Octavia and Clarke arriving at the top of the mountain. They climbed out of their cabin and walked towards them as they were stood outside the glass sliding doors of the exit.
"Ladies?" Anya called out with a wave when the door opened and they stepped out into the cold.
"Hi there." Raven stopped and Clarke walked into her. She had been transfixed by seeing Lexa smiling a second ago.
"Ray." She hissed.
"Watch where you're going." The snarky brunette whirled around to face her clumsy friend.
"So, you're setting up the madhouse?" Anya asked curiously watching the interaction between the two friends whilst Octavia had walked off to talk to the new guy in charge of the cable car. Clarke pushed past Raven and left the group behind, trudging through the loose snow gaze fixed on the slippery ground.
"Yeah. Been told to be ready for tomorrow." Raven turned back to face the two.
"Will you be able to set up everything in that short time?" Anya asked with a frown. "It's bigger."
"That came as a surprise as well." Raven sighed. "I don't know. We've been arguing all night over how to handle it. Mind you, it's almost double in size, but we didn't get more people to man the bar."
"Don't think they'd employ man." Anya joked, but quickly added. "You need help?" She gestured between herself and Lexa.
"No thanks." Raven studied Lexa who was still watching Clarke walking off for a moment before she declined the offer with a smile. "We need peeps not pricks."
Lexa's neutral expression changed into a mask of indifference at hearing the insult. She shrugged and focused back on Raven. "I don't have time anyway. I'm sure to check all the rescue equipment on its readiness for use as it will be needed significantly more."
"Noted." Raven shrugged and turned to face Anya. "I'm sure we'll cope. Somehow. Always have found a way."
"Call me if you need me?" Anya asked stepping closer to her.
"Will do." Raven assured and gave her quick peck on the lips before turning and following Clarke, grabbing Octavia on her way over.
Anya watched them leave for a moment, before turning to her friend and slapping her shoulder. "Was that really necessary?"
"She started it!" Lexa brushed her off and caressed her arm.
"You're insufferable! I told you it's not their fault. You could have swallowed your ego and offered your help?"
"Obviously Raven didn't want me there." Lexa knew she sounded immature, but she couldn't care less. The prospect of being around them just brought these responses out of her.
"Yeah, because whenever you and Clarke are in one room it's suffocating." Anya rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Please talk to her." She tried once more.
"About what?" Lexa played with the cord on her thick jacket.
"For fuck's sake. Your feelings?"
They eyed each other, one warily the other with an obvious 'I'm so done with this shit' face.
Lexa struggled to remain unaffected by their conversation, but the box in her head had just sprang open and all emotions spilled out for her to chew and choke on. "It's too late for that…" She settled on admitting after another second. The moment the blonde had come into view mere minutes ago, Lexa first thought had been that Clarke had looked exhausted. 'Why couldn't she do something else for a living,' the mountain rescuer thought for the millionth time. 'Something safer, healthier, more covered.' She bit her lip, sighed and started to walk towards their offices.
"Never too late to tell someone you're in love with them." Anya said quietly and followed.
Lexa stopped abruptly and wheeled around. "I'm not -"
The other didn't let her finish though. "Don't even try, buddy." She interrupted and glared at the smaller woman. "I'm done explaining you to you." The stare off lasted a moment, before Lexa shook her head and walked away with a murderous glare over her shoulder.
By the time Raven and Octavia entered the igloo, Clarke had started unwrapping glasses and stacking them on ice shelves behind her.
"So… we can't change the fact that for the next couple of months we're stuck here." Raven started the unfinished conversation of their previous evening. "We're totally understaffed for the size of the location." Clarke and Octavia looked at her nodding along to the truth. "There's no sense in arguing with each other and making our life's even more miserable than it already is." She finished and closed the distance to her friends in a three-way hug. "Especially Clarke's." She added in a low voice.
"Why me?" The blonde pushed out of the various arms encircling her body. "We're all in the same boat."
"Except you have additional ballast." Octavia pointed out, hands on her hips. "Unnecessary one I'd like to see you getting rid of."
"Work will help." Clarke said darkly, trying to convince her friends and herself. "We'll be so busy I won't have time to think."
The three exchanged a strained smile and went back to their tasks at hand. In less than 24 hours they would have hell in here and they needed every second to get prepared.
Unsurprisingly to any of them, Clarke had been right. In the end they were so busy that the final day of organising everything ran into opening day and they hadn't had a chance to breathe once. Overnight, people came flocking into Polis after the tourism office had officially announced the winter season started.
