Lexa can never stand these parties.
Nearly every weekend, her dad throws networking parties and her house is flooded with people she doesn't know. Loud, thumping music in one room, painful small talk and networking in the next. The only thing she enjoyed was the food. Damned if her dad didn't know how to pick a good caterer.
"Lex, I have no idea why you hate these parties so much." Her best friend Anya bounds into the room and latches onto her arm. "Andrew Garfield just asked for my phone number. Andrew Garfield!"
"Did you give it to him?"
Anya scoffs and shake her head. "You know I don't date British men."
"You know, I still don't understand that rule," Lexa comments.
"I'm just saying," Anya sighs, "your dad is the CEO Trigedakru Productions. There are celebrities at your house every other weekend. Enjoy it!"
"That's why I invite you, so you can enjoy it for me."
"And that's why I love you." Lexa gasps in pretend offense. "I mean, that's one of the many reasons I love you," Anya corrects. She grabs two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter and hands one off to Lexa. "One of these days you're going to enjoy one of these parties."
"I doubt it, but I appreciate the sentiment," Lexa sighs and takes a sip of champagne.
"Well not with that attitude," Anya points out. "Obviously it's gonna suck if you just sit in the corner brooding. You gotta get out, talk to someone interesting, get a hot girl's phone number!"
"And how exactly is that going to help me?" Lexa asks.
"You haven't had a girlfriend since—"
"I know when," Lexa cuts her off sharply.
For a moment, nothing is heard between the two except for the clinking of glasses and the sounds of pleasant chatter in the background, but that couldn't cover up the tension.
"I'm sorry," Anya says after a moment. "I didn't realize it was still hard for you."
"No, no I'm sorry," Lexa sighs. "I'm fine, I swear. Maybe you're right. Maybe I should…put myself out there."
Anya notices something over Lexa's shoulder and her face lights up. "I am so glad you said that."
"What?" Lexa asks tentatively. "I know that face. You're plotting something. What are you plotting?"
"Nothing, nothing!" Anya replies, sounding anything but innocent. "But, out of curiosity, you would say that your one and only celebrity crush is television actress Clarke Griffin, correct?"
"Yes…"
"And you have described her as, I quote, having the 'bluey-est blue eyes you want to drown in them,' correct?"
"I was drunk at the time, but yes that is correct," Lexa admits. "I don't see what this has to do with—"
Without another word, Anya grabs Lexa's shoulders and spins her around to view the one and only Clarke Griffin across the room, bright blue eyes piercing through Lexa's soul from thirty feet away.
"Oh, no." Lexa swats Anya's hands away and backs up into another room.
"What are you talking about?" Anya follows her into the kitchen where the only other people with them are the wait staff. They pay no mind to Lexa and Anya, or their conversation. "You just said I was right!"
"Yeah, but… it's Clarke Griffin!" Lexa lowers her voice to a harsh whisper. "I can't just ask Clarke Griffin for her phone number."
"No of course not," Anya says bluntly. "You have to introduce yourself, make small talk, discuss common interests, the weather, flirt a little, and then ask for her phone number! Come on, Lexa! Why are you so hesitant? She's not just number one on your celebrity sex list, she is your celebrity sex list!"
"Yeah but that's for like, fantasies, not real life!"
"Why not?" Anya asks. "She's right out there. You are sexy and intelligent and can charm any woman I bet."
"You are being ridiculous," Lexa says. "I'm walking away now."
"But Lexa!"
Lexa turns around and marches right out the kitchen door.
Or she tries to march out the kitchen door and away from her friend. She is stopped when she runs into someone else walking through the door in the opposite direction at the same time.
Someone else whose dress she spills the rest of her glass of champagne on.
Someone else whose name is Clarke Griffin.
"Oh my god," Lexa gapes. She just spilled her champagne on Clarke Griffin. Of all the people at this party. "I am so sorry, I'm such a klutz."
"Oh no, it's totally fine," Clarke says and Lexa thinks her voice sounds like angels singing. "I ran into you too, you were just the one with a glass to spill. It could've easily been me spilling on you."
"Yeah but I—"
"Hey," Clarke cuts her off, "Don't worry about it. I probably shouldn't have come back here anyway, I was just hoping to find more food."
Lexa lets herself smile a little, still nervous, but warming up to Clarke's presence.
"So what are you doing back here by yourself anyway?" Clarke asks.
"I'm not by myself, I'm with…" Lexa turns around only to find that Anya had vanished. She curses under her breath.
"Your imaginary friend?" Clarke jokes.
"No, I was, um, with my friend but I guess she left when I was distracted."
"Hey, relax, I was kidding." Clarke offers her a small smile, and Lexa visibly relaxes. "What had you so distracted?" she asks with a smile that was almost too innocent.
And there Lexa is, distracted again by the softest smile and the bluey-est blue eyes that all she can do is stand there gaping like an idiot before she can say anything. "I, um—my drink—your dress," she manages to stutter out of her mouth. "Sorry, again. I could, um, get you a change of clothes?"
Clarke giggles, but when she notices Lexa isn't smiling she stops. "Oh, were you serious? I just assumed, I mean, who brings a change of clothes to these parties, right?"
"I live here," Lexa says. "Come with me." Lexa considers for a moment grabbing Clarke's arm before turning around and walking away, but she just hopes that Clarke will follow her. She leaves the kitchen through the back exit and she hears the door swing back open a few seconds after her, so she knows Clarke is following.
"Wait, you live here?" Clarke asks, trailing after Lexa.
Lexa shrugs. "It's my dad's party, so…"
Clarke freezes in the middle of the hallway, and Lexa doesn't realize it until she is halfway up the stairs. She has to turn around and go back down the stairs to find Clarke Griffin gaping at her.
Clarke Griffin.
"Your dad?!" Clarke asks, baffled. "Your dad is Gustus Woods?"
Lexa blushes and nods. This was exactly why she never told people who her dad was, but she figures this is as good a time as any to introduce herself. "Yeah, um, I'm Lexa."
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so shocked, I just didn't know he had a daughter," Clarke muses, shaking her head. A beautiful daughter, she added internally.
Lexa shrugs. "He doesn't like to advertise it."
Clarke, noticing that Lexa was starting to get uncomfortable tries to change the subject. "I'm Clarke, by the way," she says, sticking out her hand to shake Lexa's. "Clarke Griffin."
"I know." The words slip out before Lexa can stop them. No! Lexa you don't want to seem like a creepy stalker! She scolds herself internally.
"You know?" Clarke asks, a smug grin capturing her face. She retracts her hand that Lexa never took. "Are you a fan?"
"No!" Lexa jumps to her own defense all too quickly, and regrets it when Clarke's smile falls. "No, I just—I've seen your show, Sky People, um, it's good."
"Thanks," Clarke says. Her smile comes back, not as smug as last time, but more sincere.
Silence falls between them, while Lexa internally scolds herself for already making a fool of herself in front of Clarke Griffin. She looks at Clarke and nods awkwardly, for some reason unable to smile. That was when Lexa remembered the champagne stained dress Clarke still wore. Her eyes widen.
"Your dress!" she exclaims. "We should get you out of that." Lexa turns around and continues to lead Clarke upstairs again.
"Hey, at least buy me dinner first," Clarke jokes. She doesn't catch the way Lexa's cheeks turn bright red as she follows.
The rest of the trip to Lexa's room is in silence. Lexa is tense, even after she opens her bedroom door and shows Clarke inside. Her bedroom is decent sized and she has a walk in closet, which she immediately takes Clarke into.
"Here," she says, "you can pick out whatever you'd like."
Clarke smiles at her. "Thank you."
"Bathroom is the other door, when you're done."
Clarke doesn't take long looking through Lexa's closet and seemingly grabbed the first appropriate outfit she could find. She takes the dress into the bathroom but doesn't close the door.
Lexa watches when Clarke lifts her own dress over her head and immediately slaps her hand over her face to cover her eyes when she is faced with Clarke Griffin's topless back.
She has a nice back, Lexa muses.
Lexa spins around, to relieve herself of the temptation to steal a glance.
Lexa clears her throat. "So," she begins, "what brings you to one of my father's parties? It's usually the same crowd every week."
"I just got a part in one of his movies," Clarke calls from the bathroom. Lexa's heart stops. If Clarke was going to be in one of her father's films, then this was a very, very bad idea. "He thought it would be a good idea if I came to mingle." She slips into the dress quickly then walks out of the bathroom. She sits on Lexa's bed and looks around the room while Lexa finally turns to face her once again. She doesn't admit that the dress looks much better on Clarke. "I thought you might have known, you are his daughter."
"He doesn't like to talk about work," Lexa replies quickly.
Another silence falls between them. Clarke twiddles her thumbs, waiting for Lexa to say something, but that never happens. She stands up. "Should we get back to the party?" Clarke asks.
"You go," Lexa says, grasping for an out. "I think I'll stay here for a bit." If Lexa spends anymore time with Clarke, bad things will happen. Bad things will happen and her father will find out, because he always does.
Clarke tilts her head toward Lexa, concern etched on her face. "You don't like these parties much do you?"
Finally, Lexa meets Clarke's gaze. She shrugs. "They're not really my scene."
Clarke laughed. "Same."
Silence falls between them once again, but this time it's less awkward. And once again, Clarke is the one to break it.
"Do you wanna get out of here?"
Lexa scoffs. "What? The party just started."
"I know, but neither of us really wants to be here," Clarke says. "We could do something more fun. I'm curious as to what your scene is."
Lexa mulled over her options. She could stay in her room, miserable, and regretting a missed opportunity with Clarke Griffin. She could go back down to the party, miserable, but with Clarke Griffin. Or she could join Clarke and ditch the party. Who knows what they would end up doing? They had the whole night to themselves. It was definitely the most dangerous option.
Lexa makes the mistake of looking at Clarke, who is giving her puppy eyes, and she feels her resolve break.
"Fine," Lexa says, finally giving in. She lets herself smile at Clarke, for only the second time tonight. "But we'll go out the back, we don't want to draw any attention."
"Whatever you say, boss."
Lexa was glad that they didn't run into anybody on the way out and were able to slip into the night unnoticed.
"So tell me Lexa," Clarke says, giggling as they run away from the big house, "what is your scene?"
Bowling.
Lexa takes Clarke Griffin bowling.
It was a stupid idea, really. Who takes a girl that they're trying to impress (not that Lexa is trying to impress her) out bowling? But Clarke did ask what her scene is and, well, this was it. Lexa is really good at bowling.
Lexa's father signed her up for a lot of activities when she was younger to keep her busy, and bowling league was one of those things. She also found that it's something she can do to clear her mind when she is stressed, so she kept up the practice.
"Bowling?" Clarke asks as they walk inside. "You sure?"
The two of them look out of place in their fancy party dresses, while everyone else in the bowling alley is dressed for casual fun. Lexa doesn't care though because Clarke looks so beautiful in her dress.
"Absolutely," Lexa says with confidence.
Clarke's sheepish smile twists into a cocky smirk. "Prepare to get your butt kicked."
Clarke had either overestimated her own bowling ability or underestimated Lexa's, but by the end of the night she is eating those words after she loses to Lexa three games in a row.
Clarke was trying though, and it was cute. She would scrunch up her face when she was concentrating. Eventually she had to take off her jacket, and Lexa found herself increasingly distracted by the toned muscles of Clarke's arms.
"Hooooly shit," Clarke gasps, as Lexa ends the game with a turkey. "How do you do that?"
"Lots of practice," Lexa replies with a wink.
"Well, maybe you could teach me sometime?" Clarke said, with a lilt that makes Lexa think she might be—no, there is no way Clarke Griffin is flirting with her. "Although I might get distracted, you're pretty sexy when you concentrate."
Yep. Definitely flirting.
Lexa couldn't help the blush that turns her cheeks bright red, and Clarke smirks. Before Lexa could even begin to formulate a reply in her head, two teenage girls approach Clarke and tap her on the shoulder.
"Um, excuse me? Clarke Griffin?" one of them says. "I'm sorry to bother you, but we're such huge fans. Could we get a picture?"
Clarke turns to them and grins. "Absolutely!"
Lexa watches Clarke speak to her fans and she notices three things. First, Clarke is a people person. She knows exactly what to say to someone to make them feel good about themselves and appreciated, which is exactly what she does with these girls. Second, Clarke is genuine. It is clear from the interaction that she cares about her fans and loves speaking to them, and that bit of knowledge made Lexa smile. And finally, despite these first two observations, Clarke seems to be utterly distracted by Lexa the entire time.
Throughout the encounter, Clarke keeps glancing up at Lexa, blushing when their eyes meet, and even misses a few things that her fans say because she was looking at Lexa.
In Clarke's defense, Lexa is distracted too. She doesn't even hear one of the girls asking her to take a picture for them until the question is repeated a second time.
"What?" Lexa asks, snapping her gaze toward the girl.
"Could you take a picture for us?" the girl says again, holding out her phone.
"Oh, yes, of course," Lexa says. She grabs the phone and snaps a quick picture for the girls, who promptly thank Clarke and walk away, leaving Clarke to enjoy the rest of her night.
After they are out of earshot, Clarke takes a step toward Lexa. "If we're done bowling, I'd like to choose the next activity," Clarke says. She leans in close so Lexa can feel Clarke's breath on her lips. "If that's ok?"
Lexa still can't form words, so she simply nods.
Clarke had driven them to the bowling alley, so they hop back in her car and Clarke drives away.
"Any chance you'll tell me where we're going?" Lexa asks after a few minutes.
"You'll see," Clarke replies.
She pulls into the parking lot of a drug store.
"Uhh, Clarke?"
"Quick pit stop, you can stay here," Clarke explains. "I'll be two minutes."
Lexa wants to go with her, but Clarke insists on her staying in the car. And it's barely over two minutes later when Clarke comes back, toting nothing but a box of wine.
"Boxed wine?" Lexa asks, with a raised eyebrow.
"Judge all you want," Clarke says, "I still have the palate of a broke college student." Lexa chuckles as Clarke gets back in the car. "Now we're ready for a party."
As it turns out, the destination in mind is Clarke's apartment. Lexa's breath catches in her throat and her heart thrums faster.
"I hope I'm not being too forward," Clarke says, only half joking. "I was thinking, Netflix and wine."
Lexa smiles. "Sounds perfect."
That's how Lexa ends up on Clarke Griffin's sofa, drinking boxed wine, and watching The Aristocats.
"I'm a sucker for Disney movies about animals," was Clarke's explanation.
Lexa is barely paying attention to the movie. After a few glasses, her slightly inebriated self is hyper aware of the feeling of Clarke's arm brushing her own, the way Clarke's hair smells, the way her lips curve so perfectly over glass…
How did I even end up here? Lexa thinks. Anya would be proud, that's for sure.
And she won't admit it but the boxed wine isn't so bad.
Clarke is slightly more drunk than Lexa and has stopped watching the movie entirely. She watches Lexa intently, and Lexa can feel Clarke's gaze on her, but she keeps her eyes glued to the TV.
"Truth or dare," Clarke says.
"What?" Lexa finally pulls her gaze away from the screen to find Clarke with a mischievous grin. Lexa wishes she could kiss it right off her face.
"Truth, or dare," Clarke repeats.
"That is a game for middle school kids to play at sleepovers," Lexa says. "Not two adults."
"Fine, what would you rather do?"
"Watch a movie like you wanted?" Lexa suggests.
Clarke shrugs. "I guess I changed my mind," she says. Lexa barely registers how Clarke's voice dropped down to a sultry whisper. She definitely doesn't notice Clarke lick her lips and move towards her.
Before Lexa has a moment to react, Clarke straddles her lap and leans in, stopping when their lips are only inches apart.
Lexa is caught like a deer in headlights. She can feel Clarke's breath, smell her hair, see every shade of blue in her eyes. "Clarke…" She tries to continue, to tell her to stop, but her voice gets caught in her throat with Clarke so close and leaning in.
When Lexa doesn't move, Clarke places a soft kiss on her jaw. She feels Lexa sigh beneath her and takes that as a sign to continue. She kisses along Lexa's jaw, but when she moves down to Lexa's neck, Lexa pulls back, only a little.
"Clarke, wait," she says.
"Have I been reading this wrong?" Clarke asks, suddenly embarrassed.
"No!" Lexa reassures her. "No, not at all. I just… we can't."
"Why not?"
Lexa sighs. She wasn't sure how to explain it to Clarke simply. "You're working for my dad now," she says.
"So?"
"So," Lexa thinks for a moment. "So, my dad likes to keep me as far away from his work as possible."
Clarke waits for Lexa to elaborate, but soon realizes that she's not going to. "Oh." She moves away from Lexa and sits next to her on the couch, still letting their shoulders brush. She hesitates a moment, and then asks, "But you want to, right?"
Lexa turns her head to see Clarke looking at her intently. She should say no, put any of this to a stop, but with Clarke's eyes on her like that only one word can fall from her mouth.
"Yes," Lexa sighs. Honestly, it was all she had been thinking about for the past few hours, but she wasn't going to let Clarke know that.
"What if we make sure your dad doesn't find out?" Clarke asks.
"He always finds out," Lexa says flatly. "Especially with someone like you, relationships are hard to keep private."
Clarke doesn't say anything for a moment. Doesn't look at her. Lexa knows that this is for the best, she can't ruin another person because of her feelings.
"It doesn't have to be that," Clarke says finally. "We're here now, why deny ourselves? Because you are honestly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
Lexa looks at her questioningly. "Clarke, what are you saying?"
"One night," Clarke says. "Just sex, nothing else."
Lexa should say no. She really should say no. But Lexa is also a little drunk and Clarke is looking at her with those eyes and instead she finds herself saying, "Okay."
That one word is all it takes for Clarke to close the space between them. Clarke kisses her and even though Lexa may have imagined this countless times, this is real and it's more than she had ever hoped for. This isn't the TV star who's kissing her. It isn't the Clarke Griffin that makes teenage boys swoon and teenage girls question their sexuality. This isn't the Clarke Griffin who looks stunning at every awards show, premiere, or event that she attends. This isn't the Clarke Griffin who has a publicist that censors every other sentence she says so she can come off as sweet and endearing.
This is just Clarke. Clarke, who is terrible at bowling and knows how to make Lexa laugh and curses so much Lexa is sure her publicist would cringe.
Clarke, who nips at Lexa's bottom lip, and Lexa gasps.
Clarke's lips are so soft and her tongue tastes of wine and Lexa can't get enough, so she grips the back of Clarke's neck to pull her closer.
Clarke's hands find their way up Lexa's shirt and Lexa's hands find their way into Clarke's hair.
Lexa thinks that this is a bad idea, this is such a bad idea. But then Clarke sucks on her neck and that thought is the furthest thing from her mind. All she can think is that she needs skin and there are far too many clothes in between them right now.
They end up on Clarke's bed, clothes scattered haphazardly around the apartment. Clarke has her mouth around Lexa's nipple and a hand slipping under Lexa's waistband and between her legs.
One night, Clarke had said. Lexa can give herself this one night.
When she comes undone, Lexa knows that one night could never be enough.