CHAPTER 28: Bath

A/N: Thank you to all those who have sent well wishes for my wrist. It isn't actually getting better, so I will probably have to go to the doctor.

A/N: On that note, enjoy the sexy and funny.

Clarke groaned as she dragged her clothing off, dropping the dirt encrusted items on the floor of her tent. She looked down at the mess around her feet and realized she should probably pick them up and at least try to beat the dirt out of them. Then again, her whole body ached, and she wondered if it might be more sanitary at this point to just burn the clothing. She shook her head and stepped over the clothing deciding to worry about them later.

She made her way over to the tub filled with hot water that Lexa had so thoughtfully provided. She slowly eased her body down into it, clutching at the sides of the smooth wood, worn from years of use. She hissed when the hot water came into contact with her aching skin, but after a few moments she adjusted to the heat. She leaned her head back and rested her arms along the side. She let her eyes drift shut and let the heat sooth her weary muscles.

Her serenity was soon disrupted though by soft arguing outside of her tent, which she recognized all too well. She sighed as she listened to what sounded a lot like shoving and growling. She rolled her eyes and yelled out, "Quit your shoving and get your asses in here!"

She closed her eyes again and let a little smile play about her lips as she heard them slip into the room, mumbling their apologies and jostling against each other. She laughed when she heard an outraged cry and then what could only be a punch to the arm. She opened both eyes and tried to glare at Octavia and Raven who at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed that they had been caught acting like undisciplined toddlers. But she couldn't maintain her glare for very long, and she flicked her hands at them instead, "Sit. And quit shoving each other."

"Sorry, Clarke," muttered the mechanic as she dragged a stool around and plopped down on it.

"Sorry, Clarke, but she started it!" Octavia mustered as much indignation behind her words and nimbly stepped out of the way of Raven's fist again.

"I did not you, Branwada!"

"Stop it now. Or I will tell Lexa that you are disturbing me." Clarke glared at them both and then smirked at the twin looks of fear that flitted across their faces. She laughed again when they both nervously looked over their shoulders as if worried that Lexa would suddenly step out of the shadows. She shook her head at them and flicked some water at Octavia who looked properly outraged.

"What do you want?" she asked, and she felt her belly tighten in trepidation as they shared a long look between them as if silently arguing who would go first.

She waited and when neither of them could seem to look her in the eye and took matters into her own hands, "so…what…did you two just stop by hoping to see me naked?" She smirked at their spluttered outrage and mutterings.

"As if!"

"You wish, Princess!"

"Then spill it, guys."

Octavia squatted down next to the tub, and put her arms on the edge, nudging Clarke's right arm out of the way. She let her chin rest on her forearms. Clarke was more than a little surprised as it gave Octavia a view that she certainly didn't intend to give her. But Octavia wasn't interested in what was beneath the water, and instead she looked straight into Clarke's blue eyes.

"Clarke," she whispered, her dark eyes wet, "Please….please let Lincoln fight for you."

Clarke immediately stiffened and brought her right hand up to her chest, where she tapped it nervously. Octavia reached out and wrapped her slim fingers around Clarke's, tangling them together. She leaned in closer, ignoring how the sleeve of her right arm dragged through the water.

"Please, Clarke. Lincoln wants to be your champion. He is strong and fast. He can win. He will win! It is an honor for him, a chance to repay what you did for him. He will fight for you."

"Clarke, you're strong and fast, but these warriors have scraped and fought their entire lives. You are no match for them. Please let Lincoln do this," implored the mechanic as she shifted on her stool, the stress showing in every line of her body.

Clarke shifted in the water, ignoring the water slopping over the edge of the tub. She looked at Octavia for a moment, gently squeezing her hand, and then she leaned in resting her forehead against the younger girl's. She felt the fingers tighten around hers and she whispered, "I can't sacrifice you again, Octavia, I refuse to take your family from you. I have sacrificed all of you too many times. I left you to burn in Ton DC. I won't do it again," and she felt the tears ripple down her cheeks, and she felt the vibration from the other girl's sobs travel down her arm and nestle in her fingers.

"But you're my family too," choked the younger girl as she wrapped her fingers in blonde curls. "You're my family too, Clarke, I need all of you. Not just Bellamy. Not just Lincoln and Raven. You. I need you too."

"Shush," she murmured as she tilted her head and pressed her lips against the smooth skin, "I am committed to this course. You are my family, and the Skaikru are my people. I have to do this. I have to accept what I've done and submit myself to the law, if I don't….if I don't, you will all die. This is how we stop a war."

She pulled back and gently released Octavia's fingers, and she knew the moment when the younger girl accepted what she had said. Octavia opened her hand and let the golden curls idly sift through her fingers, until her fingers broke the surface of the water. She pulled back and landed with a thump on her bottom, and she drew her knees up, hugging them to her chest.

"I hear Lexa brought in a warrior to train you. No one will speak of her," she said dully.

"Sha."

"Is she good?"

"Sha, she is very good. Indra says she was once the best in all of Lexa's armies."

"Good," her voice trembled, "That's good. You get to choose your weapon, right?"

"Yes."

"Ok good," interrupted the mechanic, "because I have some ideas about that."

Clarke looked up at Raven and arched an eyebrow at the gleam in the girl's eye. Only one thing ever made that fire burn in her eyes. And she didn't know if she should be thankful or worried. Probably both.

"Raven….?" Her voice trailed off as the girl eagerly leaned forward gesturing animatedly.

"So it occurred to me, what you need is a small weapon, but one that can make a big impact, but not too big, so I thought about using the red, and I had some extra canisters laying around," she gestured wildly in the air almost slipping off her stool, "and I traded some cable for these little wires…and well, that's not important."

"Get to the point!" growled Octavia as she elbowed Raven in the leg and then winced as Raven kicked her lightly in the back."

"Ugh…seriously, both of you stop!" growled Clarke. "Raven, maybe you should get to the point."

"BOOM!"

Clarke's eyebrows shot up as she gazed at the grinning mechanic. "Boom?"

Raven nodded eagerly, "I made a small grenade. All you have to do is throw it at him. I'm working on a sticky residue coating, so it will stick to him." She hurried on when she noticed Clarke start to shake her head. "No one else will be hurt, it will do just enough damage that if it doesn't kill him, it will incapacitate him, and then you can finish him off." Her voice trailed off as she noticed the look of disbelief on both Clarke and Octavia's faces.

"What?" She crossed her arms over her chest, "Seriously…what!"

"Boom? What he actual fuck! That's your great, genius plan, Rae?!" Octavia glared scornfully at the mechanic who in turn kicked her, only harder this time.

"Raven…" Clarke waited until she had both their attention, "the rules state that only grounder weapons can be used. No tech." She tried to smile though when she noticed both their crestfallen faces. "It's ok. I'm actually really good with daggers."

Raven refused to look at Clarke, and she felt the bile gurgle in her belly. She had known it was a long shot, but she didn't know what else to do. She had nothing else to offer but tech. She angrily wiped away the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"It's ok, Rae. Seriously, thank you…I mean…I…it means a lot that you would try to come up with a weapon for me," she forced another smile but the mechanic still wouldn't look at her, and she felt her own tears threaten.

"Rae…"

"No, it's ok. It was stupid. I just didn't know what else to do."

"It wasn't stupid, Rae," she whispered, "Thank you for trying. I have always known you had my back." And she smiled genuinely through the salt in her eyes this time as the other girl's head whirled around to finally look at her. She was gratified to see Raven finally smile through her tears and nod at her.

She sighed and slapped at the cooling water. She grimaced at the dark water, at least some of the dirt had come off despite the fact that she never did get around to scrubbing. She chuckled wryly to herself and shook her head and then glanced back up at her friends.

"Are you two even allowed in here?"

"Um…well…"

"Probably not, but we didn't bother to ask," smirked Octavia. She slowly stood up stretching and reached out a hand to Raven helping her off the stool. She held steady as the mechanic grimaced and tried to find her balance again. It was obvious it hurt, and Clarke wanted to cry at the fleeting pain that shimmered across the girl's face, before she managed to hide it.

"How did you get around the guards?" Clarke looked between the two grinning girls and groaned, "Do I even want to know?"

"Nope."

"It's better if you know nothing about our secret ninja ways."

Clarke snorted at that and laughed, "Out. Both of you."

"Wait!" she called them back just as they were turning to leave. She smiled at them and lifted both arms, "hugs!"

The laughed and bent down wrapping their arms around the blonde, carefully avoiding looking at what was underneath the water. Clarke hugged them and rolled her eyes. "It's not like I have anything you don't have," she teased them as they both blushed.

"Yes, well, we know better than to look at what is the Commander's," sassed Raven as she carefully stood up, gleefully chuckling at the tide of red that swept up the blonde's neck to flourish in her cheeks.

Clarke looked down muttering unconvincingly, "Yeah, well it isn't Lexa's."

Octavia chortled in glee, "Sha. Sure. You keep telling yourself that, Clarkey," and she gestured up and down Clarke's body, "This is all Heda's, and at some point she's going to claim it." She jumped back laughing as Clarke sent a wave of water at her.

"Ok…ok…we're going!" The two quickly made their exit still laughing quietly.

Clarke shook her head, feeling the blush still burn her cheeks, and she skimmed the surface of the water with her palms contemplating what they had said. She looked down at her flat stomach in the slightly cloudy water and let one palm slip down her chest to her belly. She rested her hand just above her pelvis, and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment at the thought of what she was seriously contemplating. She hadn't touched herself in…she groaned absurdly at the realization of just how long it had been. It had been after Finn, after the kiss in the tent, but before Lexa's betrayal.

She leaned her head back again and allowed her hand to idly stroke the soft skin of her belly. She closed her eyes and pictured Lexa again, as she had looked earlier when she had stood over her, tall and commanding with that delectable smirk gracing her plump lips. She bit back a groan at the thought of that hot silken mouth against her own, and all she could think about was biting Lexa's full, bottom lip.

She wasn't sure what it was about that mouth that made her mind fritz and the heat pool in her belly. Maybe it was the way it fit perfectly against her own, how Lexa's lips slotted in between her own. Maybe it was the way her tongue curled around her name when she whispered, "Klark." Or maybe it was the way her tongue slid against her own, teasing and gentle and yet dominating that sent shivers down her spine.

And she bit her lip as she let her hand drift back up her belly to scrape her palm across her nipples. She chuckled under her breath as she felt them pebble. She shifted in the water feeling the wetness already pooling, and she debated whether or not she wanted to continue. She idly ran her fingers across her breast, casually strumming her fingers across the hard nipple. She felt her belly tighten in pleasure, but she let the hand drop back to her belly with a sigh. The water was cooling, and she knew that even if she did touch herself, she wouldn't be satisfied. As much as she wanted to soothe the ache that Lexa had started, she didn't want to do it by her own hand. She wanted Lexa.

She huffed and slapped her hands against the water and grabbed the soap and cloth, roughly scraping it across her skin. She hurried through the rest of her bath eager to get out of the cool, cloudy water. Once done, she stood and waited a moment letting the water sluice down her skin. She shook herself and then realized that she hadn't grabbed cloth to dry herself with.

"Damnit," she muttered as stood there shivering in the cool air. She was so wrapped up in mentally berating herself and looking around the room for a cloth that she didn't hear the footsteps in the outer room, nor did she hear the tent flaps swish open, but she definitely heard the way her voice trailed off and the sharp intake of breath that followed.

"Klark? Klark are you in….here?" She felt her tongue trip over her words as she stood there in the small room, her eyes barely able to comprehend the naked blonde standing before her in the tub.

"Lexa!"

Clarke quickly let her body drop back into the cold water as her arms came around herself trying to block Lexa from seeing too much. She winced as the water slicked over her skin and she shivered again as she huddled in the tub. She tried to flick the hair out of her face, but it was too wet and unmanageable. She huffed and tried to peer at Lexa from behind her curtain of hair that lay heavy against her cheeks.

Lexa just stood there, staring stupidly at the blonde who was shivering in the tub of water. She finally glanced down, noticing the water pooling around the tub. She glanced back up, her cheeks burning in embarrassment, and something else that she hoped Clarke wouldn't notice.

"Kl-Klark, I'm sorry. I didn't…I mean…I shouldn't have…I…I'm sorry," whispered Lexa as her tongue refused to cooperate and articulate what she wanted to say. Her mind was still trying to catch up with her mouth, and she groaned in frustration closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"I'm sorry, Klark. I shouldn't have just walked in. I will go now." Lexa turned to leave but stopped abruptly when she heard a small voice sounding more than a little unsure.

"Um…Leska, do you think you could get me a blanket or something? I forgot to bring some cloth with me to dry off."

Lexa gulped and nodded quickly, scanning the room and then let out a relieved sigh when she saw a blanket laying on the bed of furs. She grabbed it and held it out to Clarke who simply stared at the blanket and then her.

Lexa shifted awkwardly wondering why Clarke wouldn't take the blanket, and then realized to do so, she would have to stand again. She gulped at the thought of seeing more of the beautiful light skin, and she felt the blush crawl up her cheeks again. She tried not to smile though when she saw the familiar glow spread across Clarke's cheeks also.

"Here," and Lexa held the blanket out between both her arms so that Clarke could easily step into it, "I will close my eyes." And she promptly closed her eyes, feeling slightly foolish standing there awkwardly holding out the blanket, waiting for Clarke to step into it so she could wrap it around her. At least she hoped Clarke would let her wrap it around her, but she truly expected the blonde to simply take it from her grasp, so she was surprised when she heard the soft voice whisper, and her stomach bottomed out.

"You don't have to." Clarke almost immediately wanted to slap her hand across her mouth. What was she thinking!? She had basically just invited Lexa to look at her naked form, and while she wanted to take it back, she also felt her belly ping in excitement, and she slowly stood up shivering in the cool air again. She still had her arms firmly wrapped around herself, covering her breasts.

She couldn't help but smile at the flush in Lexa's cheeks, and her eyes screwed tightly shut, but her lips were parted slightly, and she kept flicking her tongue out to wet them. Clarke bit her bottom lip to keep from making any sound as she watched that beautiful tongue flick out lightly.

Lexa grunted when she heard Clarke stand up in the tub, and she flicked her tongue against her suddenly dry lips. All the moisture in her body had almost immediately headed south, and she felt a little dizzy.

"Are you sure, Klark?" She wanted to give the blonde an opportunity to take back what she said. She didn't want her to regret sharing that part of herself with Lexa, despite the fact that Lexa simply wanted to open her eyes and drink in her fill of the other girl. She shifted awkwardly and held her breath without even realizing she was doing it.

"Sha, I'm sure." Clarke bit her lip again and felt the blush steal across her skin again, and she cursed her pale skin, knowing that the red would paint her in livid hues. She shifted and tried to relax as one green eye fluttered open followed by another.

"I…I mean…" Lexa let the air out of her lungs in a rush, and she tried not to cough at the feel of the rushing air. She stepped closer, but let the blanket droop slightly between her hands as she let her eyes rove over pink flesh. She felt her heart race in her chest and echo in her ears, and she was sure Clarke could hear it.

"You're beautiful, Klark," she murmured as her green eyes tangled with slightly anxious blue, and she smiled as gently as she could at the blonde, while gripping the blanket tightly between her hands to keep herself from reaching out and touching. She was gratified to see some of the anxiety fade from her eyes.

She let her gaze drift down a slender neck and strong shoulders, across delicate clavicles, and she bit her lip when she realized that the blonde was covering her breasts with her arms, but it still showed enticing cleavage. She let her gaze drift lower, down a toned stomach that had just the hint of a belly. She smiled when she realized that the welt was almost gone.

She licked her lips and twisted the blanket even tighter between her already white fingers, as she let her eyes linger on the small strip of hair between the blonde's thighs. She was intrigued by the soft, bare, pink flesh, and she wondered if this was a Skaikru custom. She wanted to ask the blonde, but she noted the way she shifted awkwardly in the water, and the legs trembled.

Clarke wanted to squirm under Lexa's smoldering gaze, and she felt almost as if Lexa were actually touching her as her skin pricked lightly whenever she felt the weight of her stare. She could feel the moisture in her sex, and it was uncomfortable. She wanted Lexa to touch her, but she knew if she allowed her to, there was no going back. And she wasn't sure she was ready to be completely Lexa's.

She shivered again as the cool air prickled her skin, and she watched in amusement as Lexa's green eyes snapped back to her face. The green of her eyes were lost almost entirely in the gleaming pitch of her pupils, and Clarke shivered again, but for an entirely different reason this time.

"You are cold, Klark." Lexa quickly stepped forward again, not hesitating this time as she wrapped the blanket securely around Clarke's shivering form. "I'm sorry," she whispered, although she wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, just that Clarke looked uncomfortable, and seeing it made her chest twinge.

Clarke almost immediately stopped shivering as she felt the warm blanket slip across her skin, and two strong arms wrapped securely around her form. She leaned in and rested her head on Lexa's shoulder, content to still stand there for another moment in the cold water. She could feel Lexa's body heat seep through the blanket, and she pushed harder into Lexa, craving the warmth and strength of the other girl's body.

Lexa tried to repress the shudder that rippled through her muscles at the feel of the solid weight pushing into her body. She was acutely aware that all that was between her hands and Clarke's skin was a flimsy blanket. A blanket that she was starting to loath with each passing second, and she restrained herself from slipping her fingers under the edges of the blanket to feel warm skin.

She pulled back slightly, and when Clarke lifted her head in annoyance at being disturbed, Lexa pressed her lips against Clarke's forehead, not daring to press her mouth against hers, for if she did, she was sure she would forget herself and pull the blanket off the shivering form in her arms.

She stepped back more full and stopped and in one swift movement, scooped Clarke up in her arms. She chuckled at the startled squawk that escaped the blonde's mouth, and swiftly carried her the few steps over to the bed and set her down on it.

She knelt in front of Clarke, firmly rubbing her hands up and down Clarke's arms, "You are cold, Klark. You should get dressed. Planting Time may be here, but the nights are still cool." She stood quickly too her feet, realizing that the temptation was too great to continue to kneel in front of the girl with the water dripping off her face and down her neck. She wanted nothing more than to lean down and trace the path of the water with her tongue.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Lexa turned back to Clarke and smiled, "I'm going to get you something to eat. I'm sure you are famished." And right on cue, Clarke's stomach gurgled loudly and Clarke blushed again. Lexa chuckled and winked at the blushing blonde who simply rolled her eyes and waved Lexa away.

Clarke sat quietly on the bed smiling to herself. She had been surprised when Lexa had scooped her up and walked the few steps to the bed and set her down. She was deceptively stronger than she looked. Perhaps it had something to do with the Spirit of Heda, because Lexa was quite slim and only about an inch taller than herself. She snorted, because while she was only an inch shorter than Lexa, she was certainly more solid than the brunette. But Lexa hadn't seemed particularly strained when she carried Clarke. And truth be told, she had felt secure in Lexa's arms. Safe. Sheltered. Wanted.

She stood up and quickly dried off pulling soft pants and a long sleeved shirt on before sitting back on her bed while she tried to untangle her hair. She tilted her head and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to work out the snarls. Long, flowing hair was not conducive to being a warrior, and she decided that she needed to put braids in it, beyond the one little braid that wrapped around her head. More braids would contain it.

Her fingers stilled as she thought about what more braids would look like, what it might possibly mean. Did it mean anything beyond the fact that she would look more like she part of the Trikru? Her chest warmed at the thought, and she knew she was ok with that. She was ok with the idea that other clans might mistake her for Trikru. She decided to ask Lexa later about putting in more braids. She wondered if certain types of braids meant anything.

She finished untangling her hair and decided to simply let it hang down for now. She scooched further back on the bed and crossed her legs and waited for Lexa to return. She rolled her eyes when she heard her belly rumble, and she chuckled to herself.

She was fiddling with the leg of her pants and slowly pulled it up over her calf noticing the large bruise already taking shape courtesy of Fen Dal.

Fen Dal. Now she was a mystery that no one seemed eager to unravel but she. Whenever she mentioned the woman to Lexa, Lexa would simply give a short shake of her head, her eyes growing cold and the muscles in her jaw flexing from gritting her teeth too hard. Clarke had decided not to push Lexa on it, because despite the coldness in her eyes, she saw something else. Lingering pain. And Clarke wasn't quite prepared to poke at what were obviously old wounds.

So instead, she sat up straighter and started her breathing exercises. Spira from the Boat People had tried to teach her how to master her breathing, how to tame her mind and bring her body under control, but she had been a poor student, too filled with rage and pain to acknowledge or realize the benefit. But now…she knew she needed to. She needed to focus, to hone her will. So she breathed in deeply and exhaled in a controlled whoosh, slowly emptying her mind one breath at a time.

A/N: So...thoughts?