AN: Guys, I have a lot happening at work right that might delay my weekly posts. All I ask is that you guys stick around and not walk away if I happen to post later than normal. Thank you for all of the follows, the faves, and the comments. You guys make this even more fun. Enjoy and sorry for any mistakes!
Clarke waved happily as she stepped in to Frankie's office.
The woman, looking as lively and excited as always, ushered her in with a wide smile.
"Thanks for letting me take some time off, Frankie." Clarke commented as she sat in her usual seat across from the older woman.
Frankie's fluttering hand was accompanied by a playful roll of eyes before she replied. "Please, I know what it's like to be at the mercy of those who showcase your work. You belong to them now, at least until you can do all of that for yourself." She smiled. "Which I think you are close to doing, my dear."
It was nearly impossible for the blonde to hide the blush that crept up and tinted her cheeks. "Thanks, Frankie." She smiled. "I couldn't have done it without your help. I appreciate it so much."
"Yes, yes, of course." The woman stood to walk around her desk. "Will you be returning to class? Or are you officially graduating?" She teased.
Clarke had been mulling her options since her first trip to Chicago. She knew her time at The Ark was coming to an end, especially since she had branched out into the real world. But the fact was she didn't mind the continuous improvement, and she genuinely enjoyed her day to day interactions with Frankie. So much so that every time she thought about leaving, it was inevitable the small pang of sadness she felt.
Noticing the young girl's lack of response, Frankie smiled encouragingly. With it, the blonde found her voice.
"I want to stay on board." She paused to smile softly up at the director. "But I would hate to take up a spot when I might be out more than I am present during lessons." Clarke shrugged, honestly unsure about what to do.
Sighing quietly, Frankie moved to sit in the vacant chair beside Clarke, as she often did during their heart to heart discussions. "That is very considerate of you, Clarke." She stated before covering the girl's hands with one of hers. "But you earned your spot here. Regardless of whether you come back full time or part time, that depends on you, and ultimately what you have time for."
"I'm not sure what I'll have time for, Frankie." Clarke shook her head. "I have a project lined up that will take me out of town for at least a few days, and after that I'm flying back east. It's going to be very busy."
Frankie nodded in understanding. "Then perhaps you don't decide anything right now." She suggested. "Take care of what you have on your plate and then come back with your choice. This place is always open to you, and I will always be willing to take you in, Clarke. Your talent is not very common, and I enjoy our little talks." The woman smiled.
Clarke knew then, her decision about The Ark would be one less daunting task. Frankie was very understanding, and the blonde was glad for that.
Now, all she needed to do was make up her mind about camping.
She sidelined her thought process long enough to work comfortably alongside her classmates. Oil painting was the lesson of the day, and Frankie's favorite, so Clarke made sure to participate whole-heartedly for the rest of the day.
Clarke shivered automatically once she stepped out of the car and into the cold air.
The season and the wind chill had a bite to them, and she was glad she had packed her puffiest coat for their trip. She was also grateful that her girlfriend had agreed to the cabin rental rather than the tent campsite. There was no way she could sleep in the cold.
Not even because she was from Virginia.
Her eyes lit up as she took in the sight of the cozy cabin they would call their home for the next week and a half. It was one of the campground's best kept secrets. Small, secluded, and comfortable.
Its interior was decorated with everything you would expect in a cabin: wooden walls, country wallpaper, and elk print on everything. But it also had the luxuries of a nice hotel room, starting with the rather conspicuous hot tub that took up more than half of the washroom space. Clarke was extra excited about that. One room was even designated as an office workspace, perfect for Lexa to get her writing done without the distraction of…each other, really.
Clarke smiled at her thoughts when she heard the rustling behind her accompanied with a small grunt. "Did I mention we were only here for a week, Clarke?" She turned around to see her girlfriend's cheeks painted red. She assumed it was as much from the cold air as it was from having carried both of their bags.
"I could have gotten my own bag, Lexa." The blonde grinned matter-of-factly.
Lexa rolled her eyes playfully. "That doesn't answer my question." She shook her head. "You over packed again, didn't you?"
Neither girl did anything except laugh when the blonde shrugged unapologetically.
Once they settled in, they used their first day to acclimate to the elevation. Because going from sea level to several thousand feet made both their lungs and their brains protest. So, they spent their day and early evening walking some of the small trails that circled the cabin, and resting by the fire when they got back.
Sometime between their last walk and dinner, they fell asleep on the sofa as the flames cracked the logs in the fireplace.
When they made dinner, it took them slightly longer than first anticipated. Lexa attributed that to the fact that Clarke couldn't keep her hands to herself. The blonde insisted it was Lexa's fault for looking so attractive in her hoodie.
"It's a sweater, Clarke. You've seen me wear them before." Lexa commented as she smiled while the girl kissed her neck.
There was a stifled mumble before the girl repeated herself, this time away from the flesh she treated with soft licks and bites. "Maybe it's the lack of oxygen then, because my brain can't stop thinking about how amazing you look in this one."
The irony was that no matter how much Clarke appreciated the sweater, she couldn't wait to get it off the girl's body.
That's how they ended up stumbling towards the sofa and spending the next hour tangled in each other while the vegetables they diced up sat ignored on the kitchen counter.
Needless to say, the first night quickly became reserved for impromptu sex by the fire, though not on the floor because Lexa had some rather graphic descriptions about what could be living on the carpet. She nearly ruined the moment until Clarke shut her up by kissing her senseless.
After dinner, they retreated to the bedroom to snuggle and watch television.
Lexa exhaled heavily as she deleted yet another page of her edited ending. It had been the fourth time she had done so, and each time hurt a little more than the previous time. She made it a point not to delete entire pages, entire paragraphs, any lines, really. There was no greater sin than wasted words, and she couldn't stand it when she fell victim to that.
Still, there was no avoiding it as she sunk against the back of the chair and rested her eyes. A small squeak echoed in the office as she swiveled slowly from side to side, deep in thought.
When she had agreed to changing her ending, she had done so assuming the spark of inspiration would find her, but it hadn't. Three days into her and Clarke's working retreat, and she had yet to find any words that flowed flawlessly to a close.
She opened her eyes to stare at the blank page, the blinking cursor taunting her for her failures. With a deep huff and a glare at the stupid screen, Lexa slammed it closed and pushed away from the desk to stand.
The cabin was warm and cozy, and she contemplated not leaving the confines of the cocoon, but she couldn't fight the pull from the outside. A string that was unmistakably attached to the blonde on the other side of the door kept her from staying indoors.
So, Lexa ignored her natural desire to stay warm and grabbed her jacket before going in search of her girlfriend.
She found the blonde a few yards out, nestled in a small clearing that had a pristine vantage point of the landscape, her workspace covered by a small awning she had put up. Her sole focus was on the living trees that swayed subtly in the distance, and her hand moved expertly over the canvas as she added more paint to bring them to life on the paper.
A smile broke out on the brunette's face as she neared the artist.
Peeking over her shoulder she grinned with pride at the unfinished but amazing work she saw. "That's beautiful."
Clarke jumped in place before gasping and recovering from the surprise intrusion. "You scared me, Lexa." She glared at her before smiling back and returning to her work.
"Sorry." Lexa shrugged. "Shouldn't you have heard my footsteps in the snow?" She commented with a mocking tone.
The blonde shook her head, feigning annoyance. "I was in the zone."
"Ah." The writer responded before laughing softly. "Then I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to take you out of your zone." She used air quotes to tease her.
"Jerk." Clarke replied. "What are you doing out here?" She asked after a few seconds of silence.
Lexa expelled a long sigh and stuffed her hands deep in the jacket pockets before she gave her an answer. "I can't work."
"Too quiet?" She asked as she added another stroke to the canvas.
The brunette shook her head as she looked out at the trees her girlfriend was using as reference. "Too loud." She sighed and nodded when Clarke turned her head slightly to knit her brows in disbelief. "In here." Lexa pointed to her head and the blonde nodded in understanding. "I can't seem to narrow one thought down. So many different words are circling around up there, and I can't bring order to the chaos."
Looking at her sympathetically, Clarke put her brush down and turned to look at her girlfriend. "Do you want to take a break? We can go down to the campground convenience store to take your mind off everything." She suggested.
"No. I don't want to avoid this." Lexa replied with a grateful smile. "Besides, I don't want to pull you away from your work, you seem to be doing just fine."
"Well, can I do anything else to help?" She batted her eyelashes.
"That…" She paused to swallow the lump of desire in her throat. "Isn't the help I need." She grinned wantonly. "But I will take a kiss." She moved in to lock her lips with hers.
Clarke pulled away reluctantly, willing to table her need to prolong the kiss for Lexa's wishes to continue her work. "Go write, D.C."
Lexa sighed before moving back in to steal one last kiss. "God, I…needed that." She faltered, keeping the real words locked behind her lips before withdrawing towards the cabin. "Don't catch a cold, babe." She yelled back with a small grin, not missing the look of wonder and longing clearly etched on Clarke's face.
Heavy breathing echoed in the cabin as Lexa worked her fingers in and out of her writhing girlfriend. The girl's exposed throat drawing her in like the scent of blood to a vampire.
"Bed." Clarke uttered as she became frustrated with the lack of control she had inside the slippery hot tub. "Lexa, now."
The brunette groaned as she continued to work her lips over the skin on the girl's neck, never losing the rhythm or angle of her pumping wrist. "Now?" She repeated in question.
"Now." The blonde nodded, forcing Lexa to break the contact with her pulse point.
"We're all wet." She murmured in between gasps as she continued the movement in and out of the blonde's center.
"Lexa." Clarke warned as she threw her head back and shut her eyes tightly.
Reluctantly the brunette moved back, pulling her hand along with her and leaving her girlfriend flustered and breathless. The water sloshed in the hot tub as she stood, wary of her footing and the diminished sense of balance resulting from the long minutes she had been kneeling.
Not saying another word, Clarke accepted the brunette's offered hands as she struggled to stand on wobbly legs. She allowed herself to drown in the embrace that circled her waist before recovering enough to kiss her girlfriend. The feeling of their slick bodies making her want to forget what she had suggested so they could finish where they stood.
After careful maneuvering, the couple succeeded in moving out of the hot churning water before landing heavily on the bed in a tangled heap. Their lips glued and their tongues eager for more friction. Neither one cared about the mess they had just made, ignoring the way the quilt clung to their skin and the puddle of water that seeped into the rug at the foot of the bed. Reveling instead, in the caresses that came before Lexa proceeded with pushing Clarke towards her impending climax.
When they both pulled away satiated, they echoed each other's gasps for air as they rolled onto their backs. Tiny shivers began to be felt as goosebumps littered their now clammy bodies.
"I don't want to move, but I'm getting cold." Clarke mumble sleepily.
Lexa nodded before standing and instructing the blonde to do the same by pulling on the covers beneath them. She made quick work of throwing the soggy fabric to the floor and rushing to a closet where clean extras were neatly folded away. Not bothering to get dressed, they sunk deep into the dry covers before snuggling close to keep warm.
"I will never get tired of this." Clarke whispered in the dark as she moved in closer to spoon the brunette.
"I'm not a fan of being the small spoon, but yeah, I won't either." She replied only half serious, knowing full well what Clarke was referring to.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "I hate you."
"No, you don't." Lexa argued. "We both know you don't."
Clarke felt the urgent need to reply, but she felt her mouth would betray her and move the conversation into serious territory, potentially ruining their banter. "You're lucky I'm too far gone to argue that."
They chuckled softly before Lexa shifted slowly to get on her back. Her arm automatically sought Clarke's body as it wrapped around her and pulled her in. They nestled into one another in peace.
Minutes ticked by before either one so much as murmured.
"Clarke?"
"Hmm?"
"Does it bother you that I can see your paintings, but you can't read my work?"
So much for the banter and light-hearted talk, Clarke thought before she replied. "I hadn't really thought of it that way." She admitted. "I mean, I would love to read your work, but not if you don't want to share it. I don't want to force you or make you feel obligated to show me."
A sea of silent thoughts moved between them. Fingers trailing soft naked skin absentmindedly.
"I want you to read my story." Lexa finally said. Her eyes were focused on the wooden ceiling, but hear ears remained alert to every sound coming from her girlfriend. She heard the delicate way her breathing hitched just enough to be noticeable, how it almost turned into a sigh of gratification, but didn't because the swallow in her throat hinted there was still doubt or hesitation in accepting her words. The brunette even heard the way Clarke took in air just before she disclosed said uncertainty.
The slow head shake said it all, but the blonde replied anyway. "I don't want to if you're feeling pressured to give me that privilege." She hugged Lexa tighter. "I promised I wouldn't overstep anymore. I meant it."
"No, Clarke, I'm saying I want you to read it. I need you to read it so you can know this side of me. I want you to see where my mind takes me when I sit down and let the words pour out of me. Just like you've shown me what happens when you let your heart lead the brush." Lexa turned her head slightly to look at her girlfriend with a smile.
The blonde smiled back. "Not that I'm complaining, but why now?"
"Because I think I can't come up with the kind of ending MPC wants until you read the real one. Because that's the real me, and once it's published, it won't be."
Clarke's smile faded into a solemn one when she heard the sadness in her brunette's words. "Baby, you don't have to change anything for anyone. If you feel this strongly about it, tell MPC you refuse to do it their way."
Lexa had been close to telling MPC just that the night they spoke, but she withheld her dissatisfaction because she knew some (if not all) victories required sacrifice. The only thing that changed between then and now was that her heart was leading her fingers against the keyboard, not her mind.
"It's what's necessary to get this going. I don't like it, I don't have to like it, but I greed to do it because I want my hard work to resonate with people already instead of sitting in a laptop that only I know the password to. And maybe down the road, I'll get the luxury to say no and do things my way." She replied.
She understood. Of course Clarke could relate. So, she nodded caringly before lifting up enough to kiss her soundly. "I've never met anyone like you, you know that?" She whispered after parting from her mouth.
"Really?" Lexa smiled. "Never? Not even in good old Virginia?"
"Especially not there." Clarke grinned. "I've met good people, but none of them come close."
"Stop it. You're making me blush." The brunette smiled before running her long fingers down Clarke's side, stopping on her hip before squeezing.
"I'm serious." Clarke insisted. "I…I…you're amazing, and I'm glad I walked into Tassels that day."
They stared at each other in the dark, the silence not thwarting the comfort they nurtured between them.
So many words lingered in the air, unspoken, but conjured up by both quiet minds.
The magnetic pull between the couple intensified as they battled the need to speak and the desire to kiss.
In the end, mouths opened and closed upon one another with wet sounds emanating from behind teeth as their bodies rolled over and under each other.
For hours they let their hands, bodies, and lips speak what they could not let their words say just yet.
Clarke spent the following day engrossed in Lexa's story. The brunette insisted it didn't have to be read in one sitting, but the artist waved her off so she could take the words in in peace.
When she reemerged from the office, the moon had begun to tiptoe closer to the edge of the western skies and she hurried towards her girlfriend to embrace her.
TBC…
I never get tired of Clexa sappiness. So glad they got the chance to share some stuff on this trip. What do you guys think about Lexa sharing her work with Clarke? I personally think that was a big step for her.
