Sitting on the bed in between Lexa's legs Clarke is reading her book while Lexa goes over old maps. "Lexa," Clarke said. They had been sitting on the bed like this for most of the day not speaking just being there with each other.
"Hmm," Lexa said in response not really looking away from her work but laying her head down on Clarke's shoulder.
"Is there something I should be doing?" Clarke asked. Lexa didn't respond and Clarke turned around in her arms to look at her. "Lexa," she said her name more forcefully this time.
This time Lexa looked up, seeing Clarke's face she smiled. "Yes Clarke," Lexa said moving the maps away from herself.
"Is there something I need to be doing?" Clarke asked again and at Lexa's blank look added. "You know for the union ceremony, I feel like I should be doing something."
Lexa smiled and pulled Clarke so that she was back leaning against her. "You don't need to do anything Clarke, we do not have many rituals leading up to the ceremony." Lexa says as she nuzzles Clarke's neck and slowly begins kissing it.
"I just I think I should do something to show that this isn't one sided." Clarke said pulling away, "I feel sometimes like I haven't proven to the Tree People that I am staying. That I don't want you to compromise yourself for me, that I am willing to take your traditions on as my own just as you have been doing for me."
"Who has made you feel this way? I will have them killed." Lexa says seriously moving to pull Clarke back to her. Clarke however pulls farther away and turns to face Lexa.
"No I don't want you to kill anyone, I want you to give me something to do that will help me feel like part of your people." Clarke says her hand coming up to caress Lexa's arm.
Lexa thinks for a moment, then scoots closer to Clarke. "Okay," she whispers before moving off the bed to stand. She extends a hand to Clarke, "come outside with me."
Clarke eyes Lexa suspiciously for a moment before taking her hand, "alright but why?"
"You want to be seen as accepting my peoples traditions, you can't do that if we stay in here all day." Lexa said pulling Clarke along as she left the tent.
"You still haven't explained what I'm supposed to do though." Clarke said following after Lexa. Lexa pulled Clarke through most of the village before they reached a tree on the edge. "You going to explain what we're doing here?"
Lexa stopped and turned to Clarke taking both of her hands in hers, "stay here." Lexa said then dropped her hands and disappeared.
Clarke stood there dumbfounded for a moment before looking around, quite a few of the children had followed them to see what they were doing. Adults as well, though she suspected there were probably more of them than she could see. Lexa was gone for a few minutes before Clarke started to get anxious shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Lexa came up behind her hold an arm full of flowers, "Clarke."
Clarke spun around quickly and she was greeted by Lexa smiling. "Where'd you go?" Clarke asked.
"I had to get the flowers," Lexa answered before turning to place the flowers beneath the tree.
"And the flowers are for?" Clarke asks waiting for her to continue.
"Kneel," Lexa says as she kneels in front of the tree and Clarke follows her lead. "This is the mother tree, it is customary for couples such as ourselves to come to here to ask the gods to bless our union. The flowers are an offering for the goddess, each couple chooses their own offering. Flowers seemed fitting for us because they need the sun to survive just as we need each other."
Clarke smiles at that, "I want to kiss you right now."
Lexa looks over at Clarke, "you will have to wait. You can't kiss me in front of the mother tree until after the union ceremony, when we return to thank the gods."
"You know half the village is watching us right now?" Clarke asked as she watch Lexa stand and offer her a hand to help her up. She waved her off and stood up on her own.
"That is what you wanted is it not? Otherwise I wouldn't have dragged you through half the village when we came here." Lexa said smiling. "There is one more thing I need you to do for me."
"Sure Lexa what? You know I want participate in your traditions." Clarke said stepping closer to Lexa.
"Okay," Lexa said and they moved a little farther from the tree. "I need you to sit facing me." Lexa and Clarke both sat on the ground facing each other.
"Okay now what?" Clarke asked.
Lexa smiled bringing her hand up to caress Clarke's face and run her fingers through her hair. "You need to undo one of my braids."
Clarke doesn't respond for a moment instead she just continues to stare at Lexa. "Lexa is that, you're sure that is okay?" Clarke asked.
Lexa nods, "one of the smaller ones towards the front of my head. They will be the easiest to get undone."
"Okay," Clarke whispers as she brings her hands up slowly. She gently grabs one of the braids in the front of Lexa's head and slowly untied and undoes it. As she finishes she continues to play with the edges of Lexa's hair. "So what does this ritual show."
Lexa smiles at Clarke as she slowly begins braiding a small portion of Clarke's blonde hair. "This is shows me giving a part of myself over to you. You undoing my braid and my putting a braid in your hair after shows part of me becoming part of you."
"Lexa that's possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever heard you say." Clarke smiles, "and right now the urge to kiss you is becoming very overwhelming."
Lexa finishes the braid and takes the tie that Clarke had removed from her hair and uses it to tie off the braid she had placed in Clarke's. "Later," Lexa told her as she rose to her feet once more pulling Clarke up after her. She leaned in to press their foreheads together. "I will always be a part of you now Clarke. Now matter where I am, or what I am doing, I will always with you now."
Clarke smiles pulling back just a little and Lexa can see the tears shining in her eyes. "I take back what I said earlier, that has got to be the most beautiful thing you have ever said."
