AN: Happy Sunday, Clexakru! I am really glad that the majority of you enjoyed the last chapter. I have now decided to give you a more lighthearted one after all of the angst that I have put you guys through. Enjoy!

The next morning passed in a blur for Clarke. She woke up beside Lexa in her hospital bed, relieved when the brunette didn't have a nightmare, but she barely even got to say two words to the girl before the doctor was back, asking Lexa to remove herself from the bed so that he could clear Clarke. Once the blonde was released, Abby brought her back to the house and stayed with her for three more hours, despite Clarke's insistence that she was fine, wanting to make sure that her daughter stayed hydrated and ate a decent meal. Clarke was relieved when it was time for her mother to leave for her flight, not at all enjoying being fussed over. She almost screamed when Abby began to wonder if maybe she should cancel her flight and stay here with Clarke for another night. The blonde loved her mother, she really did, but she couldn't handle the constant coddling that came from Abby's being both a mother and a doctor. She politely argued that Abby did not need to stay here with her and that it would be fine for her mother to go back home. Abby just stared at her, looking as if she didn't quite believe it.

"I'll be fine, Mom. I promise," Clarke said again.

"How can I trust you right now? After what happened?" Abby asked, and Clarke knew that her mother had a point. How could she expect the older woman to ever trust her again when she had gone out and done the one thing that Abby had sent her here to prevent her from doing ever again?

"I will never drink again, Mom. I mean it this time," Clarke said, shuddering at the thought of what she had went through in the past day. "Drinking that much was the stupidest thing I've ever done. I didn't even mean to. I was just so upset, and once I started, I couldn't stop."

Abby was still looking at her warily, so the blonde decided to tell her mother what had really scared her into never wanting to drink again. "There was a moment when I woke up after I had passed out in the car. Lexa was carrying me into the hospital, and it was like I could feel the life leaving my body. I knew I was dying, and it was all I could do to cling onto her sweater. Clarke closed her eyes at the memory, wishing she could shut it out as easily as she could shut out the sight of her room. "I never want to feel that way again."

She opened her eyes to gauge her mother's reaction, and she felt slightly better when Abby nodded. "I spoke with Lexa yesterday, and she said that you two had been having trouble with your relationship since I last saw you, yet you never drank throughout that whole time. So, what happened yesterday that made you want to go to the bar?"

Clarke averted her eyes, looking down at her lap as if there was something very interesting resting upon it. "Lexa had been avoiding me, and I always suspected that she might have her own stubborn reason for keeping us apart, but I couldn't get her to tell me what it was. I couldn't even begin to guess, so I left this drawing on my bed for her to find because I knew that it would get her to see that I loved her and hopefully come to her senses. What happened was all a misunderstanding, really."

Clarke couldn't keep the embarrassment from showing up as a blush on her face. "I was waiting for her in the attic, and when she didn't show, I thought that she had seen the drawing and that she didn't care about me anymore. I felt worse than I had in a long time, and that's why I went to the bar. Turns out that Lexa had detention after school, and she hadn't even seen the drawing when I left. It was stupid really, but I thought that she didn't love me, and I couldn't handle that when I was still so in love with her."

"That's no excuse to drink, Clarke," Abby reprimanded. "Especially as much as you did."

"I understand that now," Clarke said solemnly. "Besides, I couldn't even get my hands on any alcohol if I wanted to because you've already confiscated my fake ID."

Clarke shot her mother a grin. Abby was not amused. "You never should have taken a fake ID to school with you in the first place."'

Clarke's grin fell away. "I'm sorry."

"Are you sure you'll be alright here all by yourself?" Abby asked for what must have been the ninetieth time.

Clarke rolled her eyes. "I won't be alone. I'll be with Lexa."

"Are you sure that it's a good idea for you to continue to be with Lexa?" Abby asked. "She seems to have a lot of issues due to what she's been through, and I know it's terrible, but it's not fair of her to ask you to deal with that."

Clarke was quick to jump to her girlfriend's defense. "She didn't ask me for my help, Mom. I basically forced my way into her life when she was nowhere near ready for a relationship. Besides, her 'issues' are the reason that she started to push me away in the first place. She knows that she can be hard to be with sometimes. That's exactly why she felt the need to let me go, and look how well that turned out."

Abby pursed her lips, clearly not liking her daughter's decision. "Fine, Clarke. It's up to you because it's your heart, but I hope that you will be careful with it."

The blonde nodded, showing her mom that she was very serious about her decision to stay with Lexa. She only hoped that it would not prove to be the wrong one.

Once Clarke had finally bade her mother goodbye, after several reassurances that she would be fine, Abby left. The blond girl relaxed into her bed, delighting in finally having a moment to herself, even though she knew that it wouldn't last for much longer. Just as she thought, the door cracked open seconds after Abby had left, Lexa pushing her way back into the room. If it were anyone other than her, Clarke would have told them to go away, but she smiled at the sight of her roommate, relieved to see her willingly walking into the room once again while Clarke was in it.

"Where have you been hiding out?" she asked.

"I was downstairs playing Xbox with Emori," Lexa said.

Clarke gave her a smile that was both knowing and teasing. "Couldn't face my mom?"

"I already spoke to her last night, and she was very disappointed in me," Lexa scuffed her shoe against the carpet. "Besides, I wanted her to have time alone with you before she had to leave again."

"Well, thank you," Clarke said, "even if she did annoy the crap out of me."

Lexa nodded, and then she stood awkwardly in the center of the room for a moment, almost as if she couldn't decide whether to go back to her bed or if it was alright to join the blonde on hers. Clarke tried to think of something that she could say to break the tension, but Lexa spoke up first. "Are you hungry or thirsty? I can go downstairs and get you some water."

Clarke groaned aloud. "Please don't ask me that. I got enough of that from my mother."

Lexa's brows furrowed. "Are you sure, Clarke? I know that alcohol can dehydrate you, and you drank so much of it."

Clarke sighed, and then she beckoned for Lexa to come sit beside her on the bed. The brunette looked surprised, but she did not hesitate, walking over and sinking down on the edge of it. The blonde sat up and placed a hand on her girlfriend's knee before she addressed her in a gentle tone. "Do you remember when we talked about how you didn't want me to fuss over you when you have flashbacks?" Lexa nodded immediately, and Clarke continued. "The same applies to this situation."

Lexa nodded brusquely. "I am sorry."

"Hey, it's fine, Lex." Clarke reached out to cup her roommate's cheek. "You have to make the mistake in order to learn from it, just like you wanted me to do with you. I understand that you're worried about me, so how were you supposed to know without me telling you?"

Lexa smiled at Clarke's statement. "I don't know, Clarke. I am so glad that you are alright."

"I am too, LW. I'm sorry for scaring you like that," Clarke said, realizing that she hadn't even thought to give Lexa this small apology, too.

Lexa looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled that smile that Clarke loved more than anything else in the world. She leaned forward to capture Clarke's lips in hers, but the blonde was quick to place a hand against her chest to stop her, blushing when she accidentally brushed the top of Lexa's breast. The brunette didn't even seem to notice though. She was too caught up in her confusion at why she had been pushed away.

"I am not allowed to kiss you?" Hurt was prominent in green eyes, and Clarke tried not to wince at the sight.

She felt bad, but not bad enough to reconsider. She sighed as she ran a hand through her blond curls. "Listen, Lexa, I think we should try taking things slow, which means no kissing, at least for a few days. We rushed into our relationship way too fast, and I don't think that we ever fully had a chance to learn how to be together. But I want to. So how about we just focus on loving each other for now without being physical?"

Lexa was silent for a moment before nodding reluctantly. Clarke knew that the other girl didn't want this, but after everything Lexa had put her through, she felt like her roommate at least owed her this much.

Clarke was slightly surprised by the words that came out of Lexa's mouth next. "Can we still sleep together?"

Clarke wondered if maybe the brunette was joking, but Lexa looked dead serious. Clarke sighed in exasperation. "Lexa, if we're not even going to be kissing, why would you think that it would be okay to sleep together?"

Lexa's eyes widened in realization, and a laugh escaped her lips. "I suppose I might have worded that wrong. I meant to ask if you would be comfortable sharing a bed with me."

"Oh." Clarke nodded. "Yes. I don't ever want to sleep without you again."

Lexa immediately breathed out a sigh of relief. "Good. I don't either."

Clarke's hand began to draw patterns on Lexa's knee, and the two of them relaxed into silence, simply taking comfort in the fact that the other was present. It had been way too long since the two of them had just spent time together like this, and Clarke was beyond glad that she had her roommate back by her side. She knew that the other girl had hurt her, and it was hard to forgive her, but as long as Lexa was serious about this, Clarke knew that she would be much happier with the brunette as her girlfriend.

Suddenly, Lexa seemed to remember something, her eyebrows shooting up and a smile creeping onto her face. Clarke looked at her curiously, and hopeful green eyes turned up to meet blue. "Would you allow me to take you out for a date this weekend?"

Clarke considered this for a moment before nodding her agreement. "We are still a couple, so I suppose that would be fine."

"Great!" Lexa's eyes were brighter than Clarke had seen them in a long time. "Do you like—well, never mind. I want it to be a surprise."

"Okay, Lexa." Clarke was more than happy to allow her girlfriend to surprise her, finding herself to be excited at the prospect of this date already as well. "I'm sure I'll love it."

Over the next week, true to Clarke's desires, Lexa did not kiss her, the two of them drawing the line at holding hands and cuddling. Not even kisses on the cheek or the top of the head were allowed, and it was slowly driving Lexa crazy. She did not even protest once though, knowing that she needed to endure this punishment for what she had done. She supposed that she should be thankful that Clarke was even allowing her to touch her at all.

Things slowly went back to normal for the two girls. They resumed eating under the bleachers on most days, they did their homework together, and they slept curled up in the same bed each night. Touch did not appear to be a problem for them. In fact, they were touching more often than not, constantly wanting to feel the pressure of the other girl against them, as proof that this was really happening. It was as if their relationship had been tinged with sadness, what was once gentle touches now a desperate clinging, like each was afraid the other might disappear if they dared to let go.

Now that they were finally spending time with each other again, it was hard for them to be apart. They had spent every moment of every day this week in each other's presence, except for when they were at school, and Lexa did not think that that could possibly be good for their relationship. So, that was why she had decided to hang out with Anya on Saturday afternoon before she went out with Clarke that night.

At the moment, Lexa was napping peacefully against Clarke's chest while the blonde read an article or something on her laptop for one of her classes. Lexa's dreams were pleasant as she was safe in Clarke's hold, and she was relieved that she had only had one nightmare this week.

When Lexa opened her eyes, the first thing that she noticed was that Clarke's hand was playing with her hair. She hummed in delight, leaning into the touch. The soothing motion almost lulled her back to sleep. That was, until she caught sight of the time on Clarke's laptop, and her eyes widened. She was meant to meet Anya ten minutes ago. She lifted her head from the blonde's chest, and curious blue eyes turned to meet hers. It was at that moment that she realized she had also forgotten to even mention her plans with Anya to Clarke. Some girlfriend and friend she was.

"I am only going to spend some time with Anya." Lexa answered her roommate's silent question. "I promise that I will be back in time for our date."

Clarke nodded in response, and Lexa got off of the bed, ready to run down the hall when the sound of her girlfriend's voice caused her to turn back. "What time should I be ready?"

"How about 6?" Lexa asked.

Clarke nodded. "I'll see you then."

Lexa shot her girlfriend a smile before heading down the hall again, knocking on Anya's door before entering. The older girl was sitting on her bed with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised, clearly waiting on her friend to show up.

"What took you so long?" she asked.

"I fell asleep," Lexa admitted. "I was tired because I stayed up late last night working on that history assignment."

"The Civil War project?" Anya asked, and Lexa nodded. "I remember when I had to do that. It sucked."

Lexa narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Shut up. I'm just glad that it's over, and I feel rejuvenated now that I have taken such a wonderful nap."

The two of them were silent for a moment before Lexa spoke again. "So what do you want to do?"

Anya shrugged. "I don't know. Emori's with her boyfriend, and I was bored, so I just wanted someone to hang out with. How are things going with Clarke?"

"Fine, I guess, although we haven't spent much time away from each other." Lexa's gaze dropped to her feet for a moment before she continued. "I honestly think that Clarke's afraid I won't come back every time that I leave her."

Anya gave her a pointed look. "That's no way to have a successful relationship. You need to trust each other. That's, like, the whole point."

Lexa knew that her friend was right. Clarke didn't quite trust her yet, but she had good reason not to. The only way for Lexa to prove that she was trustworthy again was to make sure that she always returned to Clarke whenever she left, never pushed her away. Lexa didn't want to share any of this with Anya though, so she tried to appear confident in her answer.

"I'm here, aren't I? Clarke didn't cry or anything when I said that I was leaving, so clearly, there is some level of trust going on."

"But not enough," Anya argued, seeing right through her best friend. "You need to woo her. Take her out on a date or something. You need to show her that you're serious about your relationship and fix the things that you messed up, and most of all, you just need to show her that you love her."

"I am taking her out on a date tonight."

"Good. Where?" Anya asked, already eager to know the details, and Lexa sort of wished that she hadn't. She knew that her best friend wouldn't hesitate to make fun of her for it, but she also needed the reassurance that she was doing the right thing.

"I don't know if she'll even like it, but…" Lexa trailed off. "Well, Luna's family gave me concert tickets last summer for you and me to use in an attempt to cheer me up. I had completely forgotten about them until last weekend because I hadn't actually intended to use them, but I do now. The concert is tonight, and I want to take Clarke."

"I'm sure she'd love to go. I mean, who doesn't like concerts?" Anya asked, pausing for a moment before adding. "Who are you going to see?"

Lexa blushed scarlet. "Taylor Swift."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Anya groaned.

Lexa's forehead creased. "You think she will not like it?"

"I'm sure she probably will, but I wouldn't," Anya said, as she was much more into rock bands and the like. Lexa knew exactly what was coming next when she saw the twinkle in her best friend's eyes. "I just wouldn't let her know how much of a die-hard fan you are. Like, I wouldn't tell her that you have every single one of Taylor Swift's CDs. And those two posters you had in your room freshman year? I wouldn't say anything about those either. And I especially wouldn't mention the time that—"

"Okay, Anya, I get it." Lexa nudged her friend in the side, cheeks burning as she rolled her eyes. "I will not tell Clarke about the Taylor Swift obsession that I had freshman year. I am not an idiot. I can assure you though that I am no longer obsessed with her anymore."

"Oh, really? Then, why are you going to the concert?" Anya asked skeptically.

"Because it will be a nice experience for Clarke. I want to take her somewhere fun, you know? Besides, I would not want to waste the tickets." Lexa shot a wink at her friend. "This may be the only chance that I have to see Taylor in concert."

"Whatever," Anya stood from the bed. "I'm tired of being cooped up in here. How about we go outside?"

"But it is like fifty degrees out there," Lexa whined.

"You seemed warm enough a few seconds ago when I was teasing you." Anya's eyes glittered mischievously.

Lexa shot her a glare, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, come on. We can go for a walk in the forest," Anya suggested. "I know you like it out there."

Lexa wondered how on earth her best friend could've possibly known about that, as she hadn't taken to hiding in the forest until last year, but she decided that it was probably better not to ask. She tried to fight a smile at the thought of going out to the woods that she loved so much, knowing that there was no way that she wasn't going to give in to this one. "Fine. Let me go grab a jacket."

Shortly after Lexa left the room, Clarke got bored of the homework that she was doing, finding it far less entertaining to read the article in front of her without a sleeping Lexa lying against her. The room felt empty now without the other girl in it, and Clarke wondered, for the first time, if maybe spending all of their time together was not as healthy as she might have thought. Deciding that she could finish her homework tomorrow, she closed her laptop and wandered across the hall to visit her friends.

"Hey, Clarke." Raven looked up with a mixture of surprise and delight in her eyes. "I thought that you were hanging out with Lexa today. Didn't you say you were going on a date tonight?"

"We are, but she's spending time with Anya before we go," Clarke said calmly, trying not to let her frayed nerves show through.

"And how do you feel about that?" Octavia asked. "You two haven't spent too much time apart this week."

"I'm fine, O." Clarke rolled her eyes at her friend. "I'll see her tonight."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "It hasn't even crossed your mind that this might be her way of ditching you?"

Clarke should have known that her friend would see right through her. Of course, it had crossed her mind. How could it not, after everything that Lexa had put her through? She suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn't when this was exactly what had been on her mind from the second that Lexa had left their shared room. Her decision to hang out with Anya did seem pretty spur of the moment, almost as if it were just an excuse to bow out of going on a date tonight. Clarke did not think that she could handle it if Lexa never returned. That's why she had come over to see her friends. She thought that they would make her feel better, not worse.

"Octavia, come on," Raven chided. "You know Lexa's not going to do that."

Clarke's eyes widened in surprise at the fact that Raven was so quick to jump to Lexa's defense. When Clarke had first become friends with Lexa, Raven had hated the other brunette. In fact, it had been Octavia who had been the more welcoming one. Clarke wondered what had changed.

"I just want you to be really sure that you still want to be with Lexa," Octavia said. "I mean, she didn't just push you away for a couple of days. She ignored you for a whole month. You almost died because of her, and I don't want to see you get hurt like that again."

"Listen, I know that Lexa has done some shitty things, but it wasn't her fault that I went out to drink. I was the one who chose to do that all on my own." Clarke sighed. "I suppose I may have overreacted a little. I was waiting for Lexa in the attic, but I lost my patience quickly and went out to the bar before she even got a chance to show up. Besides, she didn't know that I was going to do that. If she had thought that her actions might have led me to do something like that, then I don't think there is a way in hell that she would have even started avoiding me in the first place."

Clarke paused, hoping that she was making at least a little bit of sense, but her friends just stared at her. She took a deep breath and continued to speak. "Basically, we messed up our entire relationship, but I want to fix it, and so does she. I love Lexa more than anything, and I don't want to be without her if I don't have to, but if she starts pushing me away again or if I feel that she's not putting in enough effort, then I won't hesitate to break up with her."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Raven said confidently. "I'm sure that Lexa's as serious about your relationship as you are. You didn't see her in that hospital. She was scared to death. I mean, she probably deserved a good scare after everything she put you through, but still. And then, of course, there was the nightmare thing."

Clarke snapped to attention at that last part. "What nightmare thing?"

"Lexa didn't tell you?" Raven tilted her head to the side, a sheepish grin on her face.

Clarke shook her head, and Octavia glared at her roommate. "Don't tell her that."

"She deserves to know." Raven shot the other brunette a stern look. "Besides, if I don't tell her, she'll just go running to Lexa about it."

Clarke wished that her friends would stop talking about her as if she weren't there. Lexa was her girlfriend, and she had a right to know whatever Raven thought she knew about Lexa's nightmares. Clarke lifted a hand. "I'm right here, guys."

Octavia huffed, running her fingers through her hair. "Fine. Tell her."

"Lexa had a nightmare at the hospital," Raven began, and Clarke's face twisted in concern, "only it wasn't about her stepfather this time. She never actually told me what happened in it, but I think it was about you. Anyway, she had a panic attack, like she always does, but we didn't have a bag with us, so Octavia ran off to get one. I stayed with Lexa because I was afraid that she was going to suffocate, even though I knew it wouldn't take long for O to return. I tried to think of anything that I could say to her to help her, and then it hit me. I told her to calm down because you wouldn't want her to die out there, and she did. She focused so hard on calming herself down that she got her throat to open up on her own."

Clarke's jaw dropped in amazement, not even knowing how to respond, and Raven took that as her cue to continue. "At first, she protested. She tried to tell me that she couldn't do it without a bag. I mean, you've seen how panicked she gets when she goes through that, but the minute I mentioned your name, all of that panic and fear for herself went out the window, and she was determined. She does love you, Clarke. She did it for you."

"Wow, I—" Clarke tried to blink away the tears that had formed in her eyes as she listened, a little bit in awe. "Yes, I am really happy that you told me that. Thank you."

Raven nodded in acknowledgement. "No problem."

"Has she had any nightmares since?" Octavia asked.

"One," Clarke said. "A few days ago. I don't know if she would have gotten through it on her own, if that's what you're asking. I had practically shoved a bag in her face the minute it started. Come to think of it, though, she didn't cry afterwards. She normally cries, but this time, she just leaned against me for a few minutes."

Raven nodded with a smile, and even Octavia looked more at ease than she had only moments ago. "I think she's finally getting better, Clarke," Raven said. "For real this time."

Clarke couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her own face when she realized what Raven was implying, even though she had left it unsaid. Lexa was determined to get better for Clarke.

That evening, Clarke ate a quick dinner with her friends before going back upstairs to do homework while she waited for Lexa to return. Clarke figured that Lexa must have gone out to eat somewhere with Anya because she hadn't seen her roommate at dinner. The blonde tried not to let that worry her, tried not to let suspicions creep into her mind that Lexa hadn't even gone out with Anya at all, but was rather trying to avoid being around Clarke. She was semi-relieved that Anya hadn't shown up at dinner either, but she still couldn't shake the feeling that Lexa might not be coming back.

As the clock drew closer and closer to six, Clarke grew more and more worried, so much so that she got up to pace the room for a little while. She pulled on a lightweight hoodie and slipped her wallet into her pocket. Then, she tried to relax on her bed while she waited for Lexa to show, hoping that she wasn't waiting again for something that would never happen.

Clarke practically slumped in relief when Lexa swept into the room at five minutes till six, smiling when she caught sight of her roommate and murmuring a warm greeting.

"Did you have fun with Anya?" Clarke asked, as Lexa headed for her wardrobe.

"Yes." Lexa opened the door. "We walked around the campus for a long time and then we went out for dinner. It was nice."

Clarke was about to ask Lexa where she and Anya had gone to eat, but she paused when the brunette froze. Clarke peered curiously at her, unable to see her expression because her back was turned.

"Lexa?" she asked, slightly worried.

Lexa finally turned to face her. "My zipper is stuck."

She tugged on it a few times to prove it, and Clarke bit her lip in her struggle not to laugh at the overly upset look in Lexa's eyes.

"Do you really need to change your jacket before we go?" Clarke asked, trying not to let her amusement show. "It's cold outside. We can deal with this when we get back."

"I am taking you somewhere that is indoors, and it will probably be quite warm," Lexa said. "I would really prefer to change into a lighter jacket."

Clarke rolled her eyes at her roommate. "I thought we were supposed to leave at six. It's two minutes till now."

"And I would have already been ready and in a lighter jacket, if I were not stuck in this one." Lexa frantically began to tug at her zipper, and Clarke wondered if her past made her claustrophobic or something or if she was just being dramatic. Either way, Clarke was by Lexa's side in an instant, placing her hand over the brunette's to calm her down.

"You're never going to get out of this jacket if you do it like that," Clarke said gently.

Lexa clenched her jaw, but nodded, letting up on her tight grip on the zipper. Clarke placed her roommate's hand back down at her side before she calmly took the zipper in her own hand. As she examined the jacket to make sure the zipper wasn't simply caught on the fabric or something of that sort, Clarke could feel Lexa's eyes on her in a mixture of frustration and fear. Clarke tried to pull the zipper down as gently as she could, but it did not budge. After a few more tries, Clarke's brows furrowed, and she let go, moving over to her vanity table.

"Clarke," Lexa whined the minute that the blonde had pulled away, looking close to tears. "I am really hot now in this heavy jacket, and I'm starting to feel light-headed. You can't leave me like this."

"Lexa, calm down," Clarke said in exasperation, sifting through the drawer she had opened. "I'm not leaving you. I'm just trying to look for a way to get the zipper to move."

"How?" Lexa said miserably, and the blonde wanted to laugh at the pitiful look on her girlfriend's face.

Instead, she raised an eyebrow. "You realize that, if worse comes to worst, you can probably take the damn thing off over your head, right?"

Lexa blushed scarlet at the realization, and Clarke smirked when green eyes darted away from hers. Clarke went on as if nothing had happened though because, really, the situation wouldn't have been any less embarrassing if Lexa couldn't get the jacket off without unzipping it. It still was not as big of a deal as Lexa was making out to be. Besides, Clarke was confident that she could that she could fix it.

"What are you looking for?" Lexa asked after some time, while Clarke was wishing that she had organized her drawer better, or maybe that it wasn't so full of stuff.

"When I was little, I used to have this one jacket where the zipper would always get stuck, but of course, that was my favorite jacket, so my mom couldn't just pitch it. So, whenever the zipper would get stuck, she would rub chapstick or liquid soap on it, and it would slide right down." Clarke held up a tube of mint chapstick with a look of triumph before pulling a face and dropping it back in the drawer. "Come to think of it, the liquid soap always worked better." Clarke grabbed Lexa's hand in hers, and she began pulling her girlfriend in the direction of the bathroom. "Come on, you big baby."

Lexa huffed and retracted her hand. "I am not a baby."

"Not even two minutes ago, you were acting like the world was ending because your zipper got stuck." Clarke gave her girlfriend a pointed look.

The brunette scowled, but she did not argue any further, and Clarke easily reclaimed her hand. When they reached their destination, Clarke squirted some soap onto her finger and began rubbing it onto the problematic zipper, wishing that her eyes weren't so drawn to the way that Lexa's breasts moved with the motion. Clarke chided herself because the two girls were supposed to be taking things slow, and she hoped that her eyes hadn't dilated at the sight. She knew that they had. This time, when she pulled on the zipper, it moved after the third try, sliding down its track of teeth until it was fully unzipped.

"Thank you," Lexa said gratefully, looking sort of amazed that Clarke had been able to do that so easily. Or maybe she was just amazed that Clarke had taken the time to help her. Clarke knew that if this had happened to Lexa as a child, then she wouldn't have been getting that jacket off until she realized that she could pull it off over her head. Clarke couldn't help but picture a younger version of her girlfriend, alone and afraid that she might be stuck in her jacket forever or maybe worrying that her stepdad might beat her if he realized that she couldn't get out of it. The thought caused a surge of anger to go through Clarke. Lexa should have been able to go to her parents for help, not be afraid that they might hit her if she couldn't do something on her own. This only made Clarke more determined to try and work things out with Lexa. The brunette did not deserve any more pain in her lifetime.

"You're welcome," Clarke said as she wiped the zipper off with a tissue. "Now, you owe me an extra impressive date."

Clarke shot her girlfriend a wink, and the other girl gulped. The blonde could see how serious this date was to Lexa as the brunette went straight back to the room to change jackets as quickly as she could. Clarke knew that she couldn't possibly be disappointed by whatever Lexa had in store for her though. Any time spent with the brunette would make Clarke beyond happy.

When Lexa held out a hand to Clarke, she did not hesitate to take it, the two of them walking down the stairs side by side. Lexa seemed a little self-conscious after what had happened, but Clarke did not think any less of her because of it. In fact, it was refreshing to see Lexa panicking over something as trivial as the zipper on her jacket getting caught, in comparison to the things Clarke had seen her panic about since they'd met. Besides, Clarke would never admit it, but she had found the entire incident to be rather adorable.

The stadium where the concert was being held was seven blocks from the school, and as it was about a twenty-minute walk to get there, Lexa had wanted to take Lincoln's car; Clarke seemed to have other ideas. The blonde insisted on walking, and while Lexa had thought that she was crazy at first since it was so cold outside, the brunette was slowly beginning to see Clarke's reasoning. She stayed pressed up against Lexa's side the whole way there, holding onto her arm, and Lexa smiled, feeling much warmer already than when she was out with Anya, even though the temperature had dropped about ten degrees. When they finally reached the stadium, its large digital screens displaying images of Taylor Swift, Clarke gasped in amazement.

"We're going to see Taylor Swift?!" she asked, clearly excited. "That's where you're taking me?"

"Yes." Lexa nodded with a small smile. "Do you like her music?"

"Of course, I do." Clarke shot her girlfriend an incredulous look. "Doesn't everyone?"

"Not Anya," Lexa remarked.

Clarke scowled in distaste. "Well, Anya doesn't know good music then. How on earth did you get tickets?" Clarke's eyes filled with awe again, clearly still in slight shock, and Lexa was bursting with happiness at the fact that the concert was such a big hit with Clarke.

"Luna's family gave them to me this summer to try to cheer me up," Lexa explained. "I wasn't planning on using them, and I had honestly forgotten about them until I started thinking of a date idea for us."

"I am really glad that you remembered," Clarke said with a bright smile.

Lexa hadn't seen Clarke smile like that in such a long time, and it was honestly a relief. She wished that she could take away the pain that she had caused the other girl, but as that wasn't really an option, she decided instead that she would just have to make it up to Clarke as best as she could. Clearly, the concert was a good start.

As the two girls passed through security, Lexa squirmed in excitement. She may have taken down her Taylor Swift posters, but that was mainly because she had lost all joy in everything last year, and not even her favorite singer could cheer her up. She wasn't going to put the posters back up, but she may have been lying when she told Anya that she was over her Taylor Swift obsession. She hadn't been this excited in quite some time, and she couldn't wait for the concert to start. Clarke took Lexa's hand in hers, and she led them to their seats. Both girls smiled when they saw how close to the stage they would be sitting, and they knew that they would probably be able to see Taylor just fine without even needing to look at the screens.

When Taylor finally emerged from backstage, everyone was screaming, and Clarke and Lexa were immediately on their feet. She began with "Welcome to New York," and Lexa was immediately singing along. The brunette knew every word to every single song, of course, and she wondered if maybe she should pretend that she didn't know some, not wanting to come off as obsessed. She tried it for one song, but she only lasted a verse before she was singing again, and she suddenly didn't care anymore, too caught up in the fact that Taylor Swift was right in front of her. Clarke didn't know all of the words to every song, but she knew most of them, and she did a lot of video-taking on her phone, which Lexa was sure she would thank her for later. She herself was too caught up in the excitement of the whole situation, unable to bring herself to do more than watch and sing along. This was her first concert, after all.

Being so close to Taylor Swift was almost surreal, but after several songs, Lexa found herself paying more attention to the blonde beside her than the one onstage. Clarke put her phone away, and the two of them began to sing the songs to each other, Lexa soon finding herself to be quite caught up in the blue of her roommate's eyes. Lexa was beyond excited when Taylor began to sing "Begin Again," Lexa's all-time favorite song, and she was even more excited when Clarke knew it as well. The brunette couldn't stop herself from gripping her girlfriend's waist and pulling the other girl against her so that they could sway to the music, getting completely caught up in the song as the world around them faded away. Lexa realized that some of the words of the song were really true for her this time. She had stopped believing in love after Costia had died, and it may not have been on a Wednesday in a cafe, but she had certainly watched it begin again. She was watching it begin again right now.

The last song of the night was "Shake it Off," and the two girls danced and sang with the rest of the crowd, loving every minute of it. When the concert ended, Lexa was extremely sad to see Taylor go, but her happiness that Clarke had had a good time outweighed the sadness. The two of them filed out of the stadium, both buzzing excitedly to each other about their experience.

On their way out, they were walking past a little gift shop, and Lexa wanted nothing more than to go inside and buy a Taylor Swift shirt. As surprising as it might be, she didn't already have one, and she wanted something to serve as a memento of this beautiful night. She looked longingly into the store, her thoughts warring inside of her head. She wanted to ask Clarke if they could stop for a moment, but she couldn't get Anya's words from earlier out of her head. She wondered if Clarke would think her obsessed if she asked to buy a T-shirt. In the end, her instinct won out. She knew that nothing could be nearly as embarrassing as the huge scene she had made over her zipper getting stuck before they left. Lexa blushed at the thought, beyond relieved that Clarke had not been disgusted with her.

"Clarke, would you mind if we stopped for a moment so that I may purchase a T-shirt?" Lexa asked.

"Of course not," Clarke said. "Go ahead."

Lexa ran into the shop as Clarke sat down on a bench to wait for her. She told herself to be quick, not wanting to make her girlfriend sit there for too long. Once Lexa had decided which shirt was her favorite, she purchased it and hurried out of the shop. Lexa knew that a huge grin adorned her face when Clarke spotted her because it seemed that the blonde couldn't help herself from mirroring it.

"Happy now?"

Lexa nodded enthusiastically, sure that she was probably blushing. Clarke followed her out into the chilly air, but it felt refreshing against Lexa's skin after the stifling heat of the concert. The two girls talked excitedly all the way home, not a moment of silence as they recounted their perfect evening, and it felt like only a few minutes had gone by when they reached the house, rather than twenty. Neither of them made a move to walk through the door, lingering outside, as if by some unspoken agreement. Neither girl wanted their magical night to come to an end.

Excitement was still thrumming through Lexa's veins, and she had a newfound confidence within her due to the success of their date. "May I kiss you?"

Lexa bit her lip as she waited for an answer. On the bright side, if Clarke was going to say no, she didn't say it right away, contemplating her answer for a good ten seconds.

"Sure," Clarke finally said, with a playful smirk, "but you have to catch me first."

Clarke ran off before Lexa even had a chance to register what she had said. A slow smile spread over Lexa's face as she recovered from her shock, and she raced off after Clarke, running as fast as she could to catch up. The blonde ran around the school building, and Lexa wished that Clarke would run into some dead end or something, as Lexa was pretty far behind. She perked up when Clarke ran around the football stadium. Lexa cut right through it, meeting Clarke at the other side and only missing her by a hair as the blonde whipped back towards the houses.

Lexa let out a laugh. She hadn't felt this carefree in a long time, her only objective to catch the blonde in front of her as they ran under the light of the moon. Clarke tried her best to shake Lexa off by darting around corners and running between houses, but Lexa had longer legs, and she caught up quickly. She grabbed Clarke by the back of her jacket and pinned her against the side of Azgeda House, holding her hands up above her head.

"Feisty," Clarke noted with a smirk.

Lexa only smiled in return. "I have caught you fair and square, so I believe that you now owe me a kiss."

Clarke pretended to think about this, and Lexa worried for a moment that she was being serious, that she might deny Lexa the chance to kiss her because she was still not ready. If that was so, Lexa would back off immediately, not wanting to pressure her roommate into anything, but she would also be more than a little disappointed.

After a few moments had gone by in silence, Clarke gave a dramatic sigh. "Fine. But only if you release my hands."

Lexa easily released her grip on Clarke's hands, which immediately tangled in her brunette curls. She felt a hand cup the back of her neck, and then she was being pulled roughly against Clarke, their lips moving together desperately after having been apart for so long. Lexa dropped the bag that housed her shirt to the ground as she gripped Clarke's hips, pinning Clarke further against the wall with her body and moaning when their chests pressed tightly together. They didn't even notice the freezing air that was nipping at their cheeks, the warmth of being in a heated lip lock chasing the chill of the night away.

The brunette wished that they could stay that way forever, feeling as if she would rather run out of air than take her lips off of her girlfriend's, but she forced herself to pull away when Clarke squeezed her breast.

"Am I too much for you?" Clarke asked playfully, eyes hooded with desire.

Lexa nodded a little bit, trying her best to force her own desire away. She knew that Clarke could get a little carried away, but the blonde had asked to take things slow, and Lexa was not going to dishonor that just because Clarke was caught up in the emotions of the evening. That was exactly what had happened when they had first started their relationship, and Lexa was determined not to allow it to happen again.

For the first time since Clarke had suggested it, Lexa realized that she wanted to take things slow as well. If they allowed themselves to sleep together tonight, then she knew that Clarke wouldn't be the only one who regretted it in the morning. Lexa liked the idea of she and Clarke having the chance to work on just being good for each other, without all of the physical stuff to cloud their judgement and get in the way.

Clarke seemed to sober a bit at the lack of verbal response from her roommate, furrowing her brows in concern. "What's wrong?"

Lexa raised her eyebrows at the question when she realized that she could not think of an answer to it. Whenever she had been asked this question before, she found that she had a long list of possible answers to give, even though she said none of them aloud. Now, the answer that she always gave, the answer that had always seemed like the biggest lie in the world, was no longer a lie.

Grinning happily, Lexa pressed her forehead against Clarke's, breathing the answer that had never been more true against lips that were swollen from kissing.

"Nothing."