A/N Hey guys! Almost finished with chapter 11 (which has been sitting in my notebook since August-sorry!) I'd love to be able to tell you how many more chapters until we wrap this up, but I honestly don't know. This is already longer than I originally intended lol. As always, a big thanks to my beta:) Anyway, hope you enjoy!
As it turned out, the change in Clarke and Lexa's relationship didn't actually change much. They still spent the rest of break watching Netflix on the couch and cuddling.
It was only when Anya came home to them lying on the couch, hands intertwined and Lexa's head on Clarke's chest that she noticed anything out of the ordinary.
"Hey Lex, can you come here for a minute?" Anya asked, walking towards her room.
"Ugh, okay," Lexa said, slowly pulling herself off of Clarke.
"Yeah?" Lexa asked Anya, once they were in the bedroom.
"Kid, not that I don't like Clarke and all, but aren't you two awfully close for friends? I know you and Costia just broke up and you probably want someone-"
"Anya, Clarke and I are dating," Lexa said quickly, cutting Anya off.
"Lexa, you just broke up with Costia and no matter how much I didn't like her, you did," Anya said, choosing her words carefully. "And I know you want someone to fill that hole and I do like Clarke, but I don't think you should be rushing into a new relationship like this."
Lexa sighed, "Costia and I haven't really been together like a couple should be in a long time, Anya. I'm not just filling a hole that breaking up with Costia left in me. Costia started making that hole long before we broke up and Clarke started filling it long before I kissed her. She's been there for me all year and I for her."
"And I respect that, I do. And I am very grateful that you and Clarke have been there for each other and I really do like her. But Lex, it's been like two weeks. Do you really think two weeks is enough time to move on and make the decision that you're ready to be in a new relationship?" Anya asked.
"I do," Lexa said stubbornly. "I'm not a little kid. I can make my own decisions about my love life, Anya."
"I know, Lex. I know you can. I'm just trying to look out for you. And I do hope you two work out because I like Clarke," Anya said with a smile.
Lexa smiled too, "So you approve?"
"As long as you're happy, I'm happy. I just want you to make the best decisions for yourself," Anya said, still hesitantly, but she nodded anyway.
"Thanks sis," Lexa said, moving to hug her sister.
"Any time," Anya replied.
"What was that about?" Clarke asked when she got back out to the living room.
Lexa sat down next to Clarke, snuggling into her side. "Nothing. Anya was just concerned with how quickly I am moving on from Costia," she said, not looking at Clarke.
Clarke fidgeted a little, and she could feel her heart sink some. "Do you think… maybe she's right?" Clarke asked.
Lexa bolted upright and looked at Clarke, "What do you mean?"
"I mean… look, Lex, I really like you. A lot. And I know you already said I wasn't, but I really don't want to just be a rebound," Clarke said, taking in a quick breath and wincing, seemingly at her own words.
"You're not," Lexa said, frowning, sounding a tad offended, then she softened her tone after seeing the look on Clarke's face. Lexa gently took Clarke's face in her hands and pulled them close. "Clarke, you're the furthest thing from 'just a rebound.' You know Costia and I started falling apart long before I even met you. That's in the past. You're the one who's been here for me. You're the one I've enjoyed college with and studied with and had late night Netflix marathons with. You're the one I want Clarke," Lexa said, her green eyes looking vulnerably into Clarke's blue ones.
Clarke leaned the rest of the way into Lexa, kissing her, softly at first and then harder, moving so that she was on top of Lexa, pressing her against the couch.
Lexa looked up at Clarke as Clarke pulled away, a goofy grin spreading across her face.
The last day of vacation came quicker than either girl wanted or expected and before they knew it, it was moving day.
This time Anya came and helped both girls unload their cars, back into their dorm room. They set up the fairy lights and mini fridge, organizing all of their things in coordination with each other this time so that everything was put away better than it had been originally. Clarke stuck her box of sheets and blankets on her bed, but didn't bother making it-both girls were quite aware that they would be sharing Lexa's bed that night.
"What do you want to do for dinner?" Clarke asked Lexa later that night.
Lexa shrugged. "We can just get Wawa?" she suggested.
Clarke nodded in agreement so they got ready and Lexa grabbed Clarke's hand as Clarke shut the door to their dorm.
The walk to Wawa took about 20 minutes and once the girls got their food and coffee they settled down to eat it at the nearby picnic tables.
"It feels so weird that we're already halfway through our first year of college," Lexa said to Clarke.
Clarke nodded, "and it's kind of crazy how things have turned out differently than how I thought they would."
"Yeah, things have not gone quite how I expected them to," Lexa agreed.
"And it definitely wasn't all bad," Clarke added, smiling at Lexa. Lexa blushed a little, ducking her face to her coffee cup and taking a sip to avoid letting Clarke see how red she had become and how big her smile was. Not that it mattered, of course. All the reaction served to do was make Clarke's own smile grow bigger.
Clarke took Lexa's hand as they got up to leave, and when they got home that night they spent it in each other's arms, relishing in the last night they had together before school would inevitably limit their time together.
The next morning Lexa woke up before their alarm clock. Luckily, neither girl had classes until 9:30 am, so Lexa took the opportunity to walk down to the coffee shop and get she and Clarke's coffees and breakfast. She got Clarke a cinnamon raisin bagel and a caramel coffee. As for herself, an everything bagel and a regular coffee-one cream, one sugar. The coffee shop was busier than usual, the first day back to school drawing more students out to actually get breakfast then by mid-semester when everyone decided food wasn't a necessity until lunch if it meant 20 extra minutes of sleep in the morning.
Today, the barista took a little longer than usual to prepare Lexa's drinks because of the crowd. Lexa recognized some of the other students there from one place or another on campus, but no one that she was really friends with; until her eyes landed on Octavia, sitting by the window. Not that she was really ever Lexa's friend, and she especially wasn't now that Clarke, Octavia and Raven weren't talking. Lexa averted her gaze, trying to avoid an awkward encounter, but Octavia had seen her and was making her way over to where Lexa was standing.
"Hey," Octavia said brightly.
"Hi Octavia," Lexa replied politely, desperately wishing her coffees would be ready soon.
"It's been a while," Octavia said.
Lexa nodded.
Octavia's smile faltered at Lexa's apparent lack of interest in the conversation. She looked like she was going to say something else, dumb smile still plastered to her face, but changed her mind, instead dropping her cheerful act.
"So, how was your winter break?" Octavia asked.
"Good. Clarke came home with me to my sister's apartment," Lexa said pointedly. "How was yours?"
"Uh, it was okay," Octavia replied noncommittally. "So, how have you and Clarke been?"
Lexa pursed her lips. "Good." She didn't mention her and Clarke's relationship.
Octavia shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I'm sorry I haven't, you know, talked to you guys in a while-"
"I'm not the one who needs an apology, Octavia," Lexa cut her off.
"Right. Well...well, can you ask Clarke if she wants to meet me for coffee sometime?"
"She needs to hear it from you," Lexa replied. "I...I'll tell her you asked about her though," she relented after seeing the look on Octavia's face.
"Thank you Lexa," Octavia said, just as the barista called out "Lexa!"
"I'll see you around," Lexa said, excusing herself from the conversation to go pick up her and Clarke's coffee and breakfast.
Lexa made her way back to her dorm room, trying not to drink her whole coffee on the walk back.
"Hey," Clarke said cheerily when Lexa opened the dorm door, "You got breakfast, oh my god Lexa, you're my favorite."
Lexa smiled, handing over Clarke's coffee and putting the bag down on her desk so that she could pull out her and Clarke's food.
"So," Lexa started, as she and Clarke sat on Lexa's bed with their food.
"So?" Clarke asked.
"I saw Octavia this morning while I was getting our food," Lexa said.
"Oh?" Clarke asked, attempting, and failing, to keep her face impassive.
"Yeah. She asked how you were. And she asked me to ask you if you wanted to meet her for coffee," Lexa said. Clarke didn't reply, instead leaving the statement up on the air.
"I told her she has to ask you herself," Lexa added.
Clarke nodded. "Good. She doesn't need to make you the messenger." Clarke picked at her bagel, but didn't eat it; her appetite having vanished with Lexa's story.
Their morning was quiet after that, but by the time they got home from their classes, piles of homework to boot, Clarke had gotten her text from Octavia, asking her to go get coffee.
"I don't know what to do, Lex," Clarke said, "I just don't know. We've been friends since we were six, and it just...ended. And now O wants to go get coffee but I don't know if Raven will ever even talk to me again…" her voice trailed off helplessly. Clarke was lying on Lexa's bed. Staring at the ceiling, while Lexa was sitting at her desk, homework covering the whole surface. Lexa got up and sat down next to her, and Clarke buried her face in Lexa's side.
"Clarke…" Lexa sighed, running her her hand through Clarke's messy but soft blonde and pink hair. "Yeah, that sucks. And of course you don't have to go, but it sounds like she wants to patch things up," Lexa said softly.
"Yeah," Clarke said. "It's just hard," her voice cracked, and Lexa's heart broke for her.
"Yeah. But you have a chance to fix it now. And I'm sure Octavia will tell you about how Raven's doing too," Lexa said.
Clarke nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Okay, we should get started on our homework now," she said, but she didn't move to get up.
Lexa smiled, and kissed the top of Clarke's head. She waited a minute, just to see if Clarke would actually get up, and when she didn't Lexa laughed, and disentangled Clarke from her, moving to sit back at her desk.
"If you want to do homework you have to actually get up, you know," Lexa said with a smirk.
"I know," Clarke whined, stretching across Lexa's bed before forcing her body to move. She pulled her own books out and sat down at her desk.
"Here's to semester two," Clarke said, eyeing all of the work they both had to do.
Lexa laughed, "Hear, hear to that."