This is my first attempt at a Clexa fic. Hopefully people enjoy it and would like me to continue.
Chapter 1
Clarke staggers up the stairs under the weight of her two suitcases, eternally grateful that she only lives on the second floor or else when she discovered that the elevator was out of order again she would have turned around and driven back home. She exhales heavily as she tugs the second case onto the landing. The winter break hadn't done her any favours in terms of cardio. It had been three long weeks of comfort eating.
At apartment 47 she stops and roots around in her bag for her keys. She jams it in the door and twists sharply, bag slipping down her arm. Pushing the door open with one shoulder, she drags both cases in past the door and lets it swing shut.
Lexa sits up straight when she hears the door open and close, forgetting the case study she had been engrossed in for the last two hours. She pushes out from the table and jogs around to the hall, finding a thoroughly frazzled Clarke dropping bags to the floor.
Clarke spots her and smiles weakly through the pain in her lower back and opens her arms. Lexa meets her immediately and wraps her up in a tight hug.
"Happy New Year!" Lexa cheers.
"It's January 7th," Clarke says with a laugh.
"I know," Lexa says stepping out of the hug. "But I didn't get to say it to your face so I'm saying it now."
Clarke pushes her hair back from her face and looks down at her cases that she cannot bear the thought of moving just yet.
"You don't think these would get in the way if I felt like leaving them here all semester, do you?" Clarke asks tiredly.
"Not at all, we could stack them and make a nice hall table," Lexa jokes. "It may get annoying having to walk all the way out here for your clothes everyday though, but hey, it's your call."
Clarke sighs with a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth and leans down to pick up her bags.
"You go ahead," Lexa urges, lightly pushing Clarke past her. "I'll get these."
"You're an angel," Clarke says perking up immediately and strides into the living area.
Lexa rolls her eyes and picks up Clarke's bags.
"Winter break was only three weeks," Lexa shouts after Clarke as she trudges down the hall. "How is it that you have this much stuff to bring back?"
"My head was kind of all over the place when I was packing," Clarke explains, settling down on the couch. "I couldn't remember what I did and didn't need and kinda just ended up bringing everything."
Lexa purses her lip in concern. Her and Clarke had chatted on and off over break and she hadn't mentioned anything that would explain her off beat attitude now. Clarke usually loved the start of semester, getting organised, starting new classes, something was definitely off with her. Bags away, Lexa sits down across from Clarke and waits.
Clarke turns over and rests her head on the arm of the couch, almost looking through Lexa.
"I broke up with Finn," Clarke states. Lexa leans forward and rests her head on her hand. "For good this time."
Lexa sits back and appraises Clarke slowly. This certainly didn't seem the same as the rest of the times Clarke had tried to break up with Finn.
"Are you sure?" Lexa can't help but check.
Clarke's eyes focus on Lexa and her brows furrow. Lexa shrugs off the harsh gaze, it's reasonable for her to be doubtful when her and Finn have been on and off for the entirety of last semester.
"Yes," Clarke says flatly. "He dropped out of Polis."
"You're kidding," Lexa says in disbelief.
"I wish I were."
"I mean, at least he won't be around while you're trying to get over him." Lexa says fishing for a silver lining. It doesn't help, Clarke had closed her eyes, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Lexa leaps out of her chair and sits delicately next to Clarke. She strokes her hair back soothingly and wipes the tear away with her thumb. "Clarke, you've been saying for months you had to break up with him. You were so certain. What's changed?"
"He's enlisting."
Clarke shifts suddenly and cries into Lexa's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her waist. Startled, Lexa awkwardly puts her hand on Clarke's back. She had never seen this side of Clarke. She had seen decisive, determined, motivated Clarke. But crying in her arms Clarke was a whole new experience but Lexa would be damned if she wouldn't be there for her. So she hugged Clarke back and stayed with her until the sobs that wracked her body had subsided.
….
Clarke awoke feeling reasonably better, a nap had been just what she needed. She rolled over and pulled her duvet up to her chin. The scent of lavender reminded her of Lexa and how she was constantly forgetting to buy her own detergent. Her cases lay beneath the window, still fully packed apart from the pyjamas she had torn out to put on.
Sliding out of bed she walked over to the mirror on her closet door. Still puffy cheeks betrayed her pasty pallor. It had been the most draining three weeks of her life, three weeks she was supposed to spend relaxing with family but was mostly spent arguing and being unable to sleep. Clarke rubbed her cheeks and attempted to clear her face, her fresh from a nap energy unable to remove the frown from her face.
It's then that the smell of food wafting under her door reminds her of how long it had been since she had last eaten.
Lexa stood by the sink, draining the macaroni and then poured the creamy cheese sauce on top. She pulled out two plates and set the table, clearing away her papers.
"What smells so good?" Clarke asks exiting her room, still pyjama clad.
"I made mac and cheese, your favourite," Lexa says gesturing towards the pot on the counter. "Feeling better?"
"Much," Clarke says with a nod, rubbing her arm nervously. "I'm sorry about earlier."
"Don't be," Lexa shrugs. "Now, how much Mac and Cheese do you want?"
"How much is there?" Clarke jokes.
"I'll just bring over the pot then," Lexa laughs.
Lexa lazily reads over the case study she had been going over as they ate, sensing that Clarke was still feeling a little awkward about earlier.
"Class doesn't start for another four days, how is it you already look swamped?"
"I'm not swamped," Lexa says stubbornly looking back up at Clarke. "I just like to be prepared. You can't talk, you're exactly the same."
Clarke rolls her eyes and smirks, knowing she's right.
"I think this is the most unprepared I have ever been heading into a new semester." Clarke says realising that she hasn't even looked over her course schedule.
"Like you said, we have four days, plenty of time," Lexa assures her. Lexa looks up to see Clarke toying with her food distractedly and knew it was going to be hard to get her mind off of Finn. "Prep can start tomorrow, how bout we watch a movie tonight? I can run out, get some ice-cream?"
Lexa gets up to put her plate in the sink, as she passes Clarke grabs her wrist.
"That sounds so perfect," she sighs, looking up at Lexa gratefully. "I really lucked out, getting you as a roommate."
"And you're just realising this now?" Lexa gasps, feigning offence. Clarke drops her wrist with a smile, letting her put the plates away. She follows Lexa to the sink and pushes her aside playfully.
"Let me get these, you have ice-cream to get."
"That I do," Lexa says going to get her bag and coat. "Should I call Raven and Octavia, make a night of it?" She asks doing up the last button.
Clarke pauses and turns slowly.
"Raven isn't back on campus and O doesn't know about me and Finn yet and I don't feel like going through it all again," Clarke explains.
"Of course, it'll just be the two of us so," Lexa concedes with a shrug and picks up her bag. "Wait, I thought you and Raven were meant to drive back up together?"
Clarke grimaces and turns back to the sink. "That was the plan, yeah," she says using the back of her hand to push a strand of hair back from her face. When Lexa doesn't enquire further Clarke sighs. Lexa never pushed, for which she was grateful and yet she always seemed to tell her everything. "You know how Raven always thought that I wasn't giving Finn a chance and that I wasn't doing enough to fix us?"
Lexa just nods as she moves over beside Clarke who recounts what happened.
"Well she came over to my house yesterday to stay over so I wouldn't have to detour to pick her up this morning and I told her about the break up. She was annoyed but accepted it. That was until I told her that he was enlisting." Clarke begins drying the dishes vigorously. "She blames me for him leaving."
"That's not fair, you don't control him," Lexa points out.
"Raven seems to think I do," Clarke replies bitterly.
"Look, she's just upset. She'll see sense and apologise."
"I hope so," Clarke admits, throwing the cloth on the counter. "Look, we can talk about all this another time but right now I just want that ice-cream you never seem to be going to get!"
"Alright, alright I'm gone!"
Once Lexa leaves Clarke goes back to her room to look up movie possibilities on her laptop. She gets comfortable and starts scrolling through lists of movies that are suitable for forgetting that you're sad.
Her phone buzzes on her bedside table and she reaches over to grab it. It's probably Lexa wondering what flavour ice-cream she wants. She can never remember if she prefers cookie dough or chocolate fudge brownie.
But the name on the screen makes her freeze. It's a text from Finn. She tosses her phone to the end of the bed and exhales angrily.
So much for them being over.
….
I know not much really happened in that chapter but it's just a taster to see if anyone is interested in reading on. I'm on tumblr at escapingfromoldroutines .tumblr .com I'm always happy to talk about my stories or about shows, particularly the 100 at the moment! Anyone else dying waiting for tonight's episode?
-Aisling x