Disclaimer: I do not own The 100
Chapter 36
"Raven. Come with me please" Clarke said as they chatted over breakfast. The kids had just left for school, and Lexa had gone upstairs to get ready to leave for the gallery.
"No Clarke, I really think you guys should have some time to talk."
"You don't understand. I won't be able to watch it if my nightmare from last night comes true."
"Clarke…"
Even before Raven could finish, they heard Lexa coming downstairs.
"I'm ready. I'll meet you downstairs?" Lexa said to Clarke.
"Yea, I'll just grab my bag and keys" Clarke said. Lexa said goodbye to Raven and headed out the door.
Clarke took a deep breath and then picked up her bag and keys, said bye to Raven and left.
The drive to the gallery was mostly silent. Clarke turned on the music, but kept it low. Her eyes on the road before her, her mind wondering whether Lexa was thinking about seeing Luna there.
Lexa's eyes drifted from the road ahead to the window beside her.
"It's unusually cool today, the weather" Lexa said.
"Yea, it's dropped a few degrees" Clarke replied.
They got silent again. Suddenly a song playing on the radio ended, and a new one began to play.
'I'll stand by you, by The Pretenders'
Perfect. Just perfect.
Clarke reached out to change the station. But Lexa stopped her.
"It's okay… let it play…" she said.
Clarke nodded.
They were in high school. It was prom night. They had a fight that morning. Over a petty issue. Clarke got Lexa an outfit for prom as a gift. It was spectacular. It would fit her perfectly and it was exactly her taste. Lexa felt bad she hadn't gotten Clarke anything.
They had an argument about how it should have been an agreed mutual thing that they would gift each other a dress tonight. Clarke explained that she had wanted to surprise Lexa. They argued. And didn't talk all day.
When Clarke went over to Lexa's place to pick her up that evening, Lexa had left on her own already.
Lexa had worn the outfit Clarke gifted her. It was a dress, completely body hugging. It accentuated her body so well. Lexa loved it. She just wished she could have gifted Clarke something too. They hadn't spoken all day so she had no clue if Clarke was going to pick her up as originally planned or not. So she had left by herself and left a note for Clarke telling her to meet her at the party.
She was laughing now, watching Clarke walk up to her, dressed in the outfit Lexa had gifted her on their very first date almost a year ago.
Clarke was smiling. She came up to Lexa kissed her on the cheek and said
"I wanted to make sure you'd still dance with me, even though I stole your opportunity to gift me another dress, so I thought why not wear something you've gifted me previously…"
Lexa kissed her lips with a smile and said "I'd dance with you in any outfit, in any world, and any universe, dressed or bare"
Clarke teased her lips with her own.
"Option 5 please"
Lexa bit down lightly on her lip.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it previously."
"Come on, dance with me" said Lexa.
They had reached the gallery, but 'I'll stand by you' was still on and neither of them wanted to turn the song off mid-way. So they just sat there listening.
When the song ended, Clarke turned the car off.
"It's the only photo I kept of us. On my phone? I deleted everything else." Lexa said.
Clarke looked at her, acknowledging what she just said.
"I still have the dress" said Clarke.
A slight smile came on to Lexa's lips. They remained silent then until Lexa said "Come on, show me to your gallery"
They got out of the car and walked up the building.
"When did you open it? This place?" Lexa asked.
"When Aden turned 2." Clarke said.
"It was always your dream, wasn't it? Having your own art gallery" Lexa said, not really looking at Clarke as they ascended the stairs to the first floor of the building.
"Yea. A dream you believed more in than I did" Clarke said.
Lexa chuckled. It was the first time in a long time Clarke heard Lexa chuckle at something she said.
'Don't read much into it, don't! Don't' Clarke had to repeat to herself in her head. Cause she knew, any moment now, they'd run into Luna and her world could fall apart.
They were right outside the main door to the gallery when Clarke stopped a few steps away.
"What's wrong, Clarke?" Lexa asked.
"Listen, Lexa… before we go in… I know that you said it means nothing, and I shouldn't read much into the fact that you finally decided to come here, but you have to know…
There was a time in college when I almost gave up on this. You remember right? And I would have if it wasn't for you. So it does mean a great deal to me having you here. And I don't know, you might like some of it, you might hate some of it, but I'm just grateful you decided to come."
Lexa didn't know how to receive this. It meant a great deal to Clarke that she was here. And she didn't know what to say.
"Honestly, you have Madi to thank. She was quite touched by your art. And I think just generally by you, Clarke. I'm just happy she sees you as an inspiration."
Lexa wasn't really making eye contact, but regardless, Clarke smiled.
They stepped inside and Clarke's heart began racing. Luna was right there. At the other end of the gallery. Just like in the nightmare from last night.
"Lexa! What a surprise" said Luna, on seeing Lexa walking in with Clarke.
Clarke readied herself, this was it, her world could fall apart any moment now.
"Shit. Shit Shit. I forgot Luna was going to be here!" came Lexa's panicked whisper.
Clarke took a moment to register this. And then it hit her. Lexa had no clue Luna was going to be here. Which means, Lexa truly was here to see her art work.
"Ummm… should I send her away?" asked Clarke.
"No, just… we didn't end it too well that night…" said Lexa.
"Why? What happened?" Clarke asked, not sure if she should have asked though.
"She tried to kiss me when I dropped her off, I stopped her, told her it was a mistake."
"Ahhh" said Clarke.
Luna was closer to them now and when she finally stopped in front of them
"Luna, hi…"said Lexa.
"Heyyyyy, what's up, what are you doing here?" said Luna, totally relaxed and chilled out and not upset in the slightest.
"ummm, just thought I'll come and check out some of Clarke's work"
"That's awesome. I'll take you around if you like"
"Uhhh, that won't be necessary. I prefer doing that on my own" Lexa smiled nervously.
"Oh alright. But let me know if you need anything" she said as she walked past them.
"Wow. Looks like she moved on faster than you did" joked Clarke, shocked that she was now comfortable making jokes about it.
"Ha-ha" Lexa deadpanned and took a few steps further in, "kids get over things quickly" Lexa said.
They were silent then, Lexa taking in the whole studio, she could see there were multiple rooms to go through, each with their own set of paintings.
"I'll leave you to it then, text me when you're done, I'll come find you"