The sky was still dark, an inky black that consumed buildings. It was quiet outside, and cold in the harsh last legs of winter. The moon barely made its presence known, its beams filtered through a wall of cloud. In stark contrast, the confines of the room were nice and warm, evidence of certain late night activities still burning a fiery passion into the air. Clarke's fingers dragged down across Lexa's spine gently as the brunette drifted in and out of consciousness. The blonde's head was propped up by her elbow, lying on her side as she took in the sight of her lover resting, legs sore and body spent.
Clarke's fingers flowed reverently along Lexa's body, her skin tingling at the sensation.
"This part is my favorite." Clarke whispered softly, drawing Lexa out from the warm embrace of sleep. Lexa repositioned her body to lie on her back, facing Clarke. The blonde's eyes were warm and soft as she looked down at Lexa with love shining down on her as passionate as the sun.
Lexa smiled, the slight wrinkles at the edge of her eyes revealing themselves. "I thought your favorite part was when I used my tongue to –" Anything else she wanted to say was cut short by Clarke's lips brushing up against her own. Lexa lifted a hand up to cup the back of Clarke's neck, drawing her in deeper, their lips moving in a well-synchronized dance.
When Clarke withdrew, both women were out of breath. Clarke shuffled to rest her head on Lexa's shoulder, pressing up against the other woman's side comfortably. The skin on skin feeling was driving Lexa crazy, wanting more even though her equilibrium felt very out of balance. She was weak, and the sole cause was Clarke. This woman, who had barged into her life five months ago, had also broken her down and it made her heart beat as though she had run a marathon.
Gentle fingers against her sternum softly made their way down to her well-toned abdomen, admiring and praising with the slightest pressured touches. Clarke's other hand drifted up to entwine her fingers in Lexa's.
Under her ministrations, Lexa felt warm and comfortable, content with the state of their unity. She had almost drifted off to sleep again when she felt the slightest graze at a specific spot on her hip.
"Where did you get this scar?" Clarke asked softy. Lexa opened one eye, noticing that Clarke's attention was strictly devoted to that spot on her hip, one of many marred areas of her skin.
"Overseas." Lexa replied, her voice quiet. She had never talked about her tours in the Middle East to Clarke, something they had agreed upon. A part of her assumed that Clarke did not want to know the horrors she had faced there, and the horrors she had dealt out. She felt relieved; many of her tours there had been under assignment with the agency, and the details of each mission and the ensuing chaos were not things she wanted to relive.
"Sometimes I forget that you were there," Clarke whispered. She bent down, soothed over the skin with soft, healing lips. "I forget that you were once there, and not here, with me." She continued, eyes drifting up to meet Lexa's drowsy gaze. A hand trailed along her abdomen, stroking the marked flesh there. Relics of old injuries lay there, presented before Clarke under the moonlight filtered through the windows.
They enjoyed a calm silence, with Clarke's touch gentle and soothing along Lexa's frame.
"Have you ever been in love?" Clarke asked suddenly, her words discreet. It was so muffled and indistinct, it would have blown away in the wind.
"I've cared for someone before. I'm not sure if it can be referred to as love." Lexa said quietly. "Costia. She was a member of my unit once."
"Did she…" Clarke's question trailed to an end once she saw the distraught appearance on Lexa's facial features, the slight pain that had slivered out from underneath her mask of indifference. Clarke brought her hands to stroke Lexa's cheek. "You don't have to talk about it." She said softly. "You're here, with me now. You're not there." There being the hot, dusty desert. The thought of Iraq, Afghanistan, it made Lexa's skin itch at the discomfort she had felt there.
Lexa's throat felt like it was closing up. Such emotions were long hidden, resting under mountains and layers of cold, calculated compartmentalization. Under false pretenses and callous charm, all the pain, the anger had laid dormant within her chest. Yet now, Clarke's devotion to her, her soft touches and care, it made Lexa feel the cracks in her armor. Any words she wished could leave her lips now did not make themselves present, and instead Lexa felt herself powerless under Clarke's intense gaze and fervent hands, raising goosebumps on her skin at her every touch.
"Clarke," Lexa started. She was having difficulty articulating her words with Clarke's movements above her, skin soft as flower petals as they made their way along her body. She steeled herself before she continued. "I have something important to tell you."
Clarke's hands stopped, and the blonde tilted her chin, rested it on Lexa's hip to meet her eyes.
"Clarke. You, I love you." Lexa whispered, the lilt at the end of the sentence making her voice low and uncertain. The words seemed to fog the air between them, and the brunette looked apprehensively at Clarke, waiting for her reaction.
"I love you too." Clarke said softly. The magnitude of this moment made Lexa quiver slightly in fear; never had she ever laid her heart bare before anyone before. Clarke slowly repositioned herself, bringing her body to drape over Lexa's. She placed a forearm on either side of Lexa's head, looking down at the woman before her.
Under Clarke's warm body, Lexa lavished the comfort, the familiarity of her weight above her. This feeling, of intense, burning fire in her chest was so unusual to her. She had never experienced it before, with anyone. With Costia, it had only been a mutual attraction that never came to fruition. She had neither had the opportunity, nor that someone who had loved her back in this way. It was a magnetic attraction, a fiery tempest tempered by gentle kisses in the night, in the simple touches at her skin.
Their lips met, tongues and teeth gnashing in fervor. This kiss was passionate and harsh, full of a desire to consummate their declared love. Lexa brought her arms around Clarke's waist, one hand drifting up to brush at the blonde's nipple. Clarke panted heavily as they broke the kiss, and Lexa peppered wet kisses along the woman's neck and collarbone.
"Make love to me." Clarke whispered into Lexa's ear, and with a few quick movements, their positions were reversed.
Lexa's hands drifted down Clarke's bare skin, down flesh toned through strenuous exercise and running. With great awe, Lexa touched, kissed, and licked at what skin she could place her own hands and lips on, making Clarke squirm with need and desire. A whisper of 'please' had Lexa refocus on the mission at hand.
Two fingers slipped into Clarke gently, and the woman let out a gasp as she adjusted to the feeling of Lexa's fingers inside her. Lexa dared not move, allowing Clarke to adapt to the sensation, but urgent hands squeezing her biceps signaled the appropriate transition. Lexa slowly began thrusting her fingers, one thumb teasing Clarke's clit. Clarke moaned, legs moving to wrap around Lexa's waist.
"Lexa, please, faster." Clarke pleaded between pants.
With practiced ease, Lexa adjusted so that her hips were positioned behind her hand, thrusting deeper and hitting that spot that drove Clarke crazy, hands raking at Lexa's shoulder blades. Lexa's thumb, massaging her clit, and her fingers moving deftly inside her had Clarke moaning heavily. She added a third finger, and her thrusts became faster, delving deeper, knowing Clarke was close. Lexa gave greater effort to her movements, sweat slick between them as they moved in tandem, until finally Clarke gave a deep moan, Lexa's name on her lips, toes curling and body arching off the bed and against Lexa's heated skin.
Lexa kissed Clarke's neck softly, holding the blonde's body as she went limp with exhaustion. Aware of her sensitivity, Lexa moved to remove her fingers, but a hand went down to stop her. Clarke looked up at Lexa, her features soft and naked.
"Stay." She said, her voice weak as she stated her request. Lexa nodded briefly, and ceased her retreat, her free hand brushing strands of damp gold hair away from Clarke's face as she rode out the last few seconds of her orgasm.
The brunette rolled them together so that Clarke was on top of her, allowing her a respite. The blonde rested her head against Lexa's chest, breathing hard as she recovered. Clarke released a breathy laugh, and Lexa felt the exhalation vibrate through her bones. Very gently, Lexa withdrew her fingers. Her wrist hurt, but she did not mind it at all.
The sky began to lighten, long fingers of blue reaching up, dark shades calling their retreat as the dark gave way to light.
"Look at that." Clarke said. "You kept me up all night." Her eyes were mischievous as she rested her chin on Lexa's collarbone, giving her a full view of the brunette's face. "How am I going to explain why I'm so tired today to my boss?"
"You could always just say you had amazing sex with your smoking hot girlfriend." Lexa suggested.
"Made love, you mean."
"That does sound more PG doesn't it?" Lexa smirked. Clarke pinched her waist at her comment.
"More romantic, and socially acceptable." She corrected. Lexa frowned at Clarke.
"When have you ever cared about being accepted by society?"
"True, I did move in with you of all people. My grandma was pretty disapproving." Clarke quipped. Lexa suddenly pushed Clarke down, positioning herself over her.
"I thought we agreed not to talk about Mrs. Griffin in bed."
"We did agree not to talk about family members in general, but not specific people." Clarke shifted up on her elbows, their faces only centimeters apart. "You have a secret crush on my grandmother, Lexa Arnold?" Lexa released a puff of air, scoffing. Clarke smiled at her response. "You wouldn't be the first person to notice though, she's got a nice body for her age."
"I've only ever wanted you. Besides, I prefer your body. Especially your ass."
"Are you objectifying me?" Clarke asked, their lips almost touching.
"I would not dare." Lexa smirked at Clarke. "I only seek to touch, to kiss every part of you, to devote my entire life to loving you."
"Careful there, I might have to ask for some hard proof." Lexa simply hummed in response, leaning down to draw Clarke in for one of many kisses she had earned this night.
Lexa blew some air onto her cold hands, rubbing them together. She was perched on a rooftop in Manhattan, binoculars rested at the ledge of the apartment building. Her gun was a comfortable weight at her hip as she stood there, a solitary figure in the afternoon sun.
She had been staking out the street below, waiting. The details taken from Jaha's files had indicated a meeting today at 2:30 between one of the CEO's lackeys and a DIA-flagged individual linked to certain anti – American groups. It was 2. She had been here since 12:30, setting up some surveillance cameras and choosing a suitable lookout.
"So, got any plans tonight?" Anya's voice sounded through Lexa's earpiece. Lexa snorted.
"Is this just a subtle way for you to strong-arm me into letting you meet Clarke?" Lexa asked.
"Of course not!" Anya exclaimed. Then after a few heartbeats, "But now that you mention it, wow what a great idea!"
Lexa laughed. "If this thing checks out, and we bag that asshole down there come 2:30, I'll consider it."
"Hey!" Octavia exclaimed in indignation from her own comm. "How about me?"
"You're not the boss's best friend." Anya retorted. Then she chortled. "I can't wait to intimidate the pants off her. Of all people, you decide to date a lawyer. Bottom-feeding mud dwellers if I ever saw one."
"That's my girlfriend you're talking about." Lexa intoned as she lifted her binoculars to her face, scanning the busy street.
"And you're in loooooove with her!" Octavia chimed, and Anya chuckled along with the younger agent.
"You two are supposed to be watching the cameras, not gossiping about my relationship." Lexa reprimanded them sharply, but the corner of her mouth started lifting upwards. She was relieved that her fellow agents were set up downstairs in the main floor of the apartment, and not up here noticing the goofy grin on her face at just the thought of Clarke Griffin.
"Incoming." Lexa said suddenly as she observed the street. "Our guy's here. Black baseball cap, grey sweatshirt and jeans."
"Got it." Octavia said. The target walked across the intersection, coming to stand in front of the bank on the corner of the street.
"Lincoln, you ready?" Lexa asked.
"Affirmative." Lincoln said from where he was standing at the intersection of the street perpendicular to the target, casually pretending to read a newspaper. As if he was rushing to go somewhere on the other side of the street, Lincoln purposely but subtly walked into the target, bumping his shoulder. As he walked by, he discreetly placed a small tracker in the man's back jeans pocket.
Once he had walked a short distance to the west end of the street, Lincoln said. "Tracker's on."
Lexa watched as the target stood there waiting. She checked her watch. 2:29. She scuffed the heel of her boot on the ledge wall as she waited.
"Lexa, we're on a private line." Anya said suddenly.
"Okay."
"What have you found on the mole?" Anya asked.
"You're going to ask now?" Lexa asked, exasperated with the other agent.
"I can't let it go. It's my theory, and my theories are almost always correct." Anya reasoned. "And you agreed with me when I told you on Friday." She added.
"I've assigned Echo to shadow him since our meet last week." Lexa finally said, her eyes never leaving the man. She checked her watch again. 2:32. Where was the guy?
"And?" Anya asked.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, he goes to work, does his cover job, goes to HQ and turns in reports."
"So no shady meetings or messages?" Anya's voice was skeptical.
"No. Not yet at least." Lexa scanned both ends of the street, checking every pedestrian. She heard Anya sigh in frustration. "Listen, I'll keep Echo on him until next week and see what she can find, or else I'll deal with him myself."
Before Anya could reply, Lexa's eyes caught something. A biker, moving fast. He was drifting closer and closer to the sidewalk, and as he came nearer to the target, Lexa quickly switched comm channels.
"The biker, eyes on him." Just as she had said those words, she saw the target take a folded note from his pocket, and just as the biker was cycling by, Lexa caught him quickly insert the paper into the biker's satchel. Quickly, Lexa dropped her binoculars and rushed to the door leading down to the staircase.
"Alpha-1, who do I pursue?" Lincoln asked, already folding his newspaper. He was edging towards the cyclist, but he had to wait for his commander's orders.
Lexa jumped down three steps each, rushing to get down the five-story building. "Get a tracker on the cyclist. We need the note." She pushed her legs to run faster, and made it through the door on the main floor to rush through the lobby. "Anya, target's 20?"
"He's headed towards Fulton, eastbound." Anya replied quickly. "He's walking, you can catch him."
"No doubt." Lexa grunted as she pushed her way out of the building door. She searched for the black baseball cap, and once she saw him she pumped her legs forward to close the distance between herself and the man. Once she was only a few yards away, she slowed to a casual walking pace. There were too many civilians. He was intentionally walking into the crowd. Once he had walked further into the bustle of the busy street, he looked over his shoulder once. Catching sight of her, he immediately started running.
"He's on to you." Octavia yelled.
"No shit!" Lexa shouted as she immediately gave chase after him. The target lost the baseball cap and pelted through the street, pushing a few people down and shoulder checking a few others, leaving a pile up in Lexa's path.
Releasing a curse under her breath, Lexa dodged and jumped over some fallen people, rushing after him as if her life depended on it.
He turned the corner to a smaller street, and Lexa gave chase after him. She raced after him as he took a haphazard left turn down another street. This man did not quite know these streets, but Lexa had grown up here. She knew exactly where this street was leading, and it was to a dead end.
The target had seemed to notice, and he spun on the dime to take off down an alleyway. Lexa ran in after him, taking her gun out of the holster. He was cornered.
The man turned to face her, and he quickly pulled out a knife and hurled it at her with surprising accuracy. She ducked it with lightning-fast reflexes, and shot him on the left kneecap.
The man let out a howl of pain, collapsing on the ground as he clutched his leg. Lexa ran over to his fallen figure.
"Gonna run down a few more streets then, you asshole?" She grunted at him as she took out a zip tie from her pocket, bending down to pull his hands behind his back and tying them tightly around his wrists.
"Lexa, where are you?" Octavia asked.
"The alleyway at Macon, across from Potomac." Lexa glared down at the man, who was tearing up at the pain. "Maybe bring a few bandages, the target tripped and scuffed his knee."
"Heard that one before." Anya said sarcastically, which earned a chuckle from Lexa.
"Aaron Moore, Australian-born citizen, with known connections to terrorist group Sector." Anya informed Lexa as they stood in the observation room, watching as Indra interrogated the target.
"Sector, the Australian Muslim group right? The extremists with ties to the Syrian groups?" Lexa asked.
"That would be the one." Anya replied. "Great running by the way, you accelerated fast out of the apartment."
"Thanks." Lexa smirked as they listened to the conversation in the other room.
"How long have you been in contact with William Anderson?" Indra asked the man. William Anderson, the other man that had been ID'ed as the biker. Lincoln and Octavia were following the tracking signal now, staking out his apartment as they spoke.
"Listen, I don't know who these guys are. I just do my job, I give them the papers and leave, every fourth Wednesday." Aaron said, his voice pained. "Can I please have some pain meds? My knee is hurting real bad." Since he was knocked out and blindfolded for good measure, the four agents had brought him into the DIA HQ for questioning. His knee had since been bandaged, but any other medical attention was yet to be determined.
"Let's see how adequate your answers are." Indra responded, her face cool. "Who tells you to meet the bikers on that day?"
"A guy named Quint. I swear I don't know anything else. I'm just a low-level guy okay? I haven't killed anyone before or did anything else. I'm just told to meet the guy."
"Fucker's telling us everything. It's like they have less of a backbone than in 2009." Lexa observed. Beside her, Anya chortled.
"Well you did shoot his kneecap, and dang if those hurt real bad." She mocked his voice, and Lexa grinned.
"Give me some useful information, and I'll see what I can do." Indra said, unimpressed with his lack of grit.
"I don't know anything okay? I swear."
"Here goes." Lexa said under her breath. Just as those words left her mouth, Indra rose from her seat and went around to Aaron's side of the table, and punched down, hard on his injured knee. He yelped in pain, and Indra sat casually on the edge of the table.
"I believe you must have heard me wrong. Information. Now." He was still gasping in pain, and Lexa counted to ten, and as she expected, Indra landed another hard blow.
"Fine! Fine! I'm told they're information about gun sales."
"Gun sales with whom?" Indra asked.
"With a man named Thomas Murphy! Please this is all I know I swear, please my knee is killing me!" Aaron screamed.
Lexa took a step forward and rapped her knuckles on the one-sided mirror pane. Indra got up and left the interrogation room, joining Lexa and Anya seconds later.
"Murphy's well known in the gun circuit." Anya said. "He's sold automatics to terrorist groups in Australia and the U.S."
"He's got a whole network." Lexa nodded. "Anya see if you can find out where he is right now. Indra, go check on Lincoln and Octavia."
"And Moore?" Indra nodded to the man.
"You can get him some medical attention now. If you have the time."