AN: Oh boy. It's been far too long, but I'm back! New Year, New Me kinda thing. I hope you all had a GREAT start to your year, and that you're all still with me. Thank you to all who have been messaging me and opening up discussions...I always have a fun time responding. So, some stuff happens in this chapter. Enjoy! Sorry for any mistakes. P.S. The title is a borrowed line from a Florence + the Machine song. I am in love with that line and what it means in this context.
"How was your trip to the secluded forest? Did you finally tell her?" Anya questioned her younger sister.
Lexa rolled her eyes wishing the older Silva could see her. "When are you going to tell me what happened with Raven?" She quipped back in order to avoid responding honestly.
The older girl laughed enigmatically on the other end, almost tauntingly so, making the brunette sigh in annoyance.
"What are you talking about, Lex?"
The girl moved to sit on her side of the bed. "Come on, we all noticed Rae was spending an awful lot of time with you while you were down here. And she was happier than we had seen her in a while."
Anya laughed softly again. "Can't a girl be happy to see her friend again?" She responded indifferently. "We hadn't seen each other in a while, and we both like to talk shit about you all so…it makes sense doesn't it?"
"Sure." Lexa replied with a sarcastic tone. "Except, she wasn't the same when you were gone."
Silence on both ends took over the conversation.
"And?" Anya responded.
Lexa shook her head. "And, she looked almost miserable."
"Well, she's allowed to miss me, isn't she?"
"Stop, An. What the hell is going on? Are you and Rae messing around? Did you hurt her?"
Another moment of silence engulfed them before the older Silva continued. "Fine." She sighed. "No, we're not messing around, Lex. No, I didn't hurt her. Yes, we were spending some time together, and in that time we kind of…bonded."
Lexa knitted her brows together. "Bonded?" She repeated for clarification.
"Bonded." Anya nodded on her end. "She seemed kind of bummed and we talked about our love lives…or lack thereof, and we bonded."
"Stop saying bonded like it's the equivalent of 'hung out'." Lexa retorted with a pinch to her nose.
"It is." Anya replied dryly. "Anyway, why are you interrogating me? I'm the oldest in this relationship. You can't just demand I give you answers." She smiled arrogantly pleased with herself.
"No it's not. I can if I want. And Raven is my friend so I'm concerned." She replied on a single breath. "Clarke noticed it too."
Anya laughed softly. "I promise nothing happened." She paused. "I like the girl, but I'm over here, she's over there, and I don't do long distance. It's why I ended it with Gustus, remember?"
"That's kind of where I was headed." Lexa replied matter-of-factly. "Rae tends to rush into things and ends up either hurt or disheartened. I just don't want my sister to be caught in that or be the cause of it."
"Geesh, Lex, thanks for the vote of confidence." Anya huffed. "But I wouldn't want to hurt Raven so there's nothing to worry about."
The girls stayed silent while each one mulled over their discussion.
"Are you back on the girl train?" Lexa teased after deciding she was satisfied with her sister's responses. For the time being, anyway.
They shared a small laugh before her sister replied. "I never got off."
"An!" Lexa laughed emphatically as she swiped a palm down her face to relieve some of the tension that had taken residence when she answered the phone.
When she hung up, nothing had actually been communicated. Anya had not gotten a response to her first question, having forgotten all about it when she got grilled by the younger brunette. And Lexa still had no concrete evidence that her sister and Raven had shared some kind of…something…a few weeks ago.
Still, the girl couldn't help but smile to herself as she placed her phone back on the charging pad. She always enjoyed talking with Anya, even if she was intense and over-protective at times.
Lexa sighed as she lay back in bed and contemplated taking a nap. She would have, but the phone vibrating on the nightstand obliterated her relaxing moment.
"Hey." Clarke smiled at her girlfriend when she walked in through the front door some time later. "You don't look like you're ready to go on a date." She closed the door warily as she sensed something was wrong. "Did you forget?"
Lexa allowed a small smile to pull at her lips before she shook her head. "No, I didn't forget." She stood and walked over to the blonde with an apologetic expression in place. "Hi." She kissed her softly.
"What happened?"
The brunette walked them over to the sofa to sit down. Clarke's eyebrows furrowed with concern, her lip doing that cute thing it did when she was deep in thought. Lexa couldn't help but smile reassuringly. "Nothing bad, I promise. Except that I need to cancel our date and pack a bag." She continued to clarify when her girlfriend looked on in confusion. "MPC called and they want to meet with me to discuss the new ending and the manuscript in its entirety before they publish."
Clarke nodded once she understood Lexa's suddenly ominous demeanor. "So you'll be in San Francisco for a week?" Lexa nodded. "Ok." The blonde shrugged. "We can reschedule date night. Don't worry."
Lexa looked at her curiously for a few quiet moments. "I'm worried about you." She explained. "You fly to Virginia in a couple of days. Are you ready for that?"
"I have the painting ready for them, Sinclair. Do they not want it anymore?" Clarke face-timed her colleague.
The man cleared his throat. "No of course they do, but they no longer want it to go in their gallery here in Chicago, they want it for their home in Virginia."
Clarke's blood went cold after hearing his words. "Is that why they asked me about Virginia? Why didn't they say they lived there? Not only did I tell them I have no desire to go back, but I insulted them because that's where they live." The blonde ran a frustrated hand along her face. "Oh my god, Sinclair."
"Relax, Clarke. I'm sure they were not insulted. It was friendly conversation at dinner among friends, not business partners."
"But they are your business partners." She sighed.
"I promise you, they are not ones to get offended so easily. They're thick skinned and have a twisted sense of humor. Please do not beat yourself up about this."
The blonde nodded after hearing his reassuring tone, but the sigh that escaped her said more than any words she could say next.
"Callie and I can deliver the painting to them if you feel that's best." Jacapo offered.
While she was extremely close to accepting his suggestion, the stubborn side of her caused her to shake her head unwaveringly. "No, no I can fly it to them. That's not a problem." She assured him despite the trepidation in her heart and the churning sea of bile in her stomach.
"Great. Sinclair responded. "They'll be expecting you. I will text you the details of where they live so you can find a place around there. You don't have to stay too long, but of course that all depends on you."
Clarke nodded. "Thank you, Sinclair." She sighed quietly. "And please say hello to Callie for me."
She was finally able to groan out loud when she disconnected the call, and her anxiety was only amplified when she read the address on the text from Jacapo.
Lexa looked guardedly at her girlfriend as she made her way closer to the office door. The blonde's quiet gaze out the frosty window signaled some internal battle. "Everything ok?" She asked as she leaned against the door frame.
Clarke turned towards her with a small smile. "I won't be flying the painting to Chicago anymore."
The brunette wrinkled her nose in question. "And you're upset because you won't get to go to the gallery?" She asked.
Her girlfriend shrugged. "Sure. I like the gallery, and the Sinclairs are nice. I can even learn to stand Wick." She smiled a bit wider. "But that's not it." She paused to sit in the chair behind the desk. "I'm flying the painting to Virginia."
Lexa's concern for her girlfriend became evident in her eyes, but she tried her best to sound encouraging. "Virginia is a big state. You can probably land, deliver the work, and hop back on a plane all without really going near Arkadia."
Clarke was grateful for the girl's positive outlook, and she rewarded the brunette with a loving smile before she shook her head. "Radford is not far from Arkadia, actually." She breathed out heavily. "I'm really familiar with the place."
The brunette walked around the desk towards her girlfriend before she knelt in front of her with her hands on her knees. "It's still not Arkadia, and I have faith that you'll be alright."
"It's where they're buried, Lexa." The words floated out of Clarke's mouth quickly and loudly. She immediately looked apologetically at the writer. "Sorry."
Lexa shook her head dismissively. "Don't worry about it." She licked her lips to continue. "You'll be fine. But if you're not, I'll be a phone call away…for whatever you need from me." She smiled up at the blonde. "Ok?"
Clarke smiled down, her hands automatically moving to stroke the brunette's cheeks. "Thank you."
The blonde looked up at the girl who held her hands safely in hers before she nodded. "I'm ready." She smiled.
Elona walked excitedly through the door before making her way to her usual bar stool. Her bright smile faded when she realized both Lexa and Clarke were nowhere in sight.
With a short exhale she swiveled in her seat and scanned the darkened room for a familiar face.
"Hey, um, do you know where Clarke and Lexa are?" She managed to skim her fingers over a passing man's arm. He was a regular; she just wasn't sure whether he was a worker or a patron.
The bald man stopped in his tracks before pivoting to look at the touchy girl who sat with an apologetic expression on her face. "They're out."
Elona held back the urge to say 'no shit' and nodded. "Right. Do you know when they'll be back?"
"Nope." Titus responded.
"Alright. Thanks." She shook her head and proceeded to roll her eyes. When he caught her before disappearing she felt no remorse. "Hey." she tapped a waiter on his back and waited for him to look at her. "Do you know when Lexa's coming back?"
The guy wrinkled his brows in thought while he balanced the tray in the palm of his hand. "Um, she should be back next week." He smiled politely at her before rushing behind the counter to discard the empty bottles and tumblers.
"Next week?" She swiveled back to meet his eyes through the tap levers. "Is Clarke with her?" Elona tried her best to avoid the pyramid-shaped handle that kept obscuring his face.
"No. Clarke's out in Virginia. She should be back before Lexa, though. Is there something you need? Maybe Indra can help you."
The girl looked down at the bar top in thought before she shook her head and smiled back at him. "No, no. That's ok. I'll just talk to one of them when I see them." She watched as the guy walked away with fresh drinks on his tray. "Hey." She beckoned the Lexa-stand-in. "Tequila, double, please."
"Thank you so much for going out of your way to deliver the painting, Clarke." The woman smiled genuinely up at the blonde while they made their way to the sitting room.
The house was very old, but the inside had been preserved and remodeled recently to keep it modern and lavish. Free space on the walls was a foreign concept as many expensive pieces hung on display for all guests to see.
"It was no problem at all." Clarke responded as she followed the couple deeper into the room where several French sofas gathered around an elegant center table. "You have a lovely home." She smiled at the pair.
"It's been in the family for many generations." The older man replied with a proud smile. "Was your home in the family for long?" He questioned.
It was bordering on conscious imposition, but the artist let it go seeing as she was with a couple of people that held her work in their home now and served as connections to a bigger world. "Yes." She paused to feign a small smile. "It still is as a matter of fact."
Eyebrows went up as the older woman cut in. "Oh?"
Clarke nodded. "The house is still mine."
The man nodded with an impressed look. "I hope you found a way to make money off of the property." He looked at her almost like a father would his daughter. "Owning property and being across the country can be very expensive and inefficient."
"I made some arrangements before I moved to Los Angeles." She smiled though she felt slightly insulted that he perceived her as naïve.
He nodded in approval. "Good to hear. Will you be checking in on the home this trip?"
"I haven't decided." The blonde answered honestly and quickly to avoid the conversation.
"Sometimes it helps to come face to face with your demons so you can finally get closure."
Clarke only nodded with a tight-lip smile.
They talked some more about her house and how she lived there with her parents until she left for the west coast; all the while they drank whiskey and the blonde avoided certain questions.
It was the older woman that moved the conversation from the personal topics to the art related discussions. Clarke smiled gratefully but subtly at the woman.
When some time had passed, and the small talk had been exhausted, the couple stood and invited the blonde to follow along as they walked through their home.
She found it difficult to keep her eyes from bulging out of their sockets with wonder. The collection of pieces that littered the hallways, the rooms, and even the dining room were beautiful. Some she recognized as pieces belonging to established artists, others, she assumed she had yet to delve into or belonged to no-name artists such as herself. Either way, she followed behind the couple and listened eagerly to the stories that belonged to each work of art.
Stopping at one in particular, she gasped and turned to the couple. "Frida?" They nodded with small yet proud smiles. "This is stunning. I was always amazed by her work, but seeing one in person is definitely life-changing."
"Yes it is." The older woman nodded. "This one is my favorite, actually. There's a connection there I had never felt before. So much so that I couldn't bear to part with it to give it to a gallery."
Clarke nodded. "I don't blame you."
They stared at the painting another minute before the man cleared his throat. "Would you like to see where yours is going up?"
It was a simple question, yet the significance of it was not lost on the blonde. She swallowed the sudden ball of emotions that constricted her throat before she nodded.
Sure enough, a spot, the only free space on the wall of a study, waited for her painting to cover it up.
Clarke smiled at the bare wall and nodded away the tears in her eyes. "I can't thank you enough for taking an interest in my work." She spoke as she looked back to the couple. "It means a lot that you believe my work is worthy of that space."
"You are an extremely talented artist." The woman responded. "We were not going to pass up the opportunity to own an original before you became the next big name in the business."
The trio stood by the wall with small smiles in place before the man led them back out to the sitting room. "So, Jacapo has suggested a retail price for the work you did." The woman began as they sat once again.
Clarke's eyes widened. She had been so caught up in the trip that she had little to no time to consider a form of payment, let alone a number. A small part of her panicked as she fought the urge to tell them to consider this a sample just to get her name out there.
"We believe his number is a good one, but we don't want to give you less than you feel it's worth."
"I came here with the intention of delivering a free painting." Clarke couldn't help herself. "The exposure is enough…this time around." She smiled.
"Nonsense." The man shook his head. "We will fulfill the contract and give you what Jacapo had in mind. We will not take it for free Clarke, and you would be foolish to believe your work does not deserve to be paid for."
The girl sat stunned by the man's words, before she sighed. Her eyes drifted down to her hands as they clasped around her empty tumbler and back up to the pair. "Thank you so much. I will never forget that you guys have given me this opportunity. I am forever grateful."
Clarke stared at the check in her hands until unshed tears blurred her vision.
"Can we change the destination, please?" She sniffled as she directed the driver to the new drop-off.
Her skin was warm, the layers of her outfit shielding her from the cold, but the goosebumps still managed to make their way up and down her body as she stepped foot on the grassy hill.
Looking at the check once more, she wished she could be with the one person that always made her feel at peace, but she felt she owed it to herself to do what she was about to do instead.
Her feet carried her towards the familiar loop, her mind leading the way towards the three tombstones that began to come into focus.
Clarke stopped in front of her dad's tombstone, nestled between Finn's and her mother's. Her eyes burned immediately and this time she let the tears run down her face without fighting the onslaught of emotions that consumed her.
She still held the check in her hands, not minding that she suddenly saw it as a lifeline she needed to grasp onto, the paper giving way to the pressure and wrinkling quietly.
There was so much she wanted to say, so many things she had never really had the opportunity to express, but her throat swelled with sadness and she sobbed openly instead.
She gasped for air, the bitterness of it freezing her from the inside out and forcing a cough out. It had been a long time since she had cried like that, and her body sighed gratefully for the new freedom it had been granted.
Her eyes moved from stone to stone as she continued to weep and mourn for her family.
Minutes passed before her eyes dried and her breathing became a rhythmic struggle for air and peace.
A sudden crunching of icy grass prompted Clarke to collect herself and deposit her wrinkled check in her coat, hoping the groundskeeper wouldn't be too long.
"I'm sorry I only came to clear the ice and drop off some flowers." The voice apologized as he made his way past her. She knew immediately who it was, and her tears began to fall again.
"Wells?" Clarke sobbed as her question forced the guy to spin and look at her in shock.
"Clarke?" His eyes widened before he rushed her and crushed her in a fierce hug.
They stood enveloped for several moments before the guy pulled away. His face contorted with a sudden apologetic look as he stepped back slowly. "What are you doing here?" Clarke dismissed his apprehension and smiled a teary smile.
Wells looked back at the tombstones and back at his old friend before shrugging. "I come every now and then. I figured if you can't, I should. They meant a lot to me, too." He stated solemnly before looking down at his gloved hands. "But hey, what are you doing back in Virginia?"
"Long story." Clarke smiled remorsefully.
"I have time. Want to go grab some coffee?"
The short drive to the nearest coffee house was not quite as uncomfortable as both had anticipated. As it turns out, sometimes distance and time doesn't really change a bond that was forged long ago.
They sat in the café, surrounded by other people seeking to thaw out, while they talked about how much they missed each other and caught up.
"Not tired of sunny California yet, then, huh?" Wells asked with a hint of disappointment.
His friend's headshake only justified his pout. "I am, however, bummed that I can't stand the cold anymore."
Wells nodded with a smirk. "Lucky me then. I thrive on snowy days and knee-deep slush." He smiled over his coffee. "So, you've finally made it in the art world?"
Clarke shrugged with a soft sigh. "I've got my foot in the door."
"But you're back here because of it?"
She nodded. "I hand delivered a painting to a couple that is affiliated with a gallery I work with."
"Fancy." He smiled. "I'm happy that your move out to Los Angeles has worked in your favor, Clarke."
"Thanks, Wells. Me too." The blonde sipped on her coffee when she felt her phone vibrate against her leg. When she pulled it out she pointed to it and Wells nodded. She read the text message and sent out a quick reply.
"Oh, I know that smile. Boyfriend?" Her friend asked.
"It's, uh, not a guy." His perplexed squint made her laugh softly. "I met a girl in California." She continued as several butterflies flopped around in her stomach. She knew Wells would never judge her choice of partner (unless he knew for a fact the person was a blatantly bad choice), but she still felt nervous about sharing the information with him.
Wells nodded with interest and soon smiled as he brought the coffee back to his lips. "Tell me more, Griffin."
Clarke was grateful for his ability to set her at ease. They talked for a long time about how she met Lexa, and how their friendship eventually grew into one of mutual pining and adoration before either one made a move.
Her friend nodded along, only interrupting her when he needed clarification for something she had mumbled over. Like when she intentionally garbled past the part where they were angry at each other after their first real argument. Wells laughed, much to Clarke's disappointment, when he saw how flustered she became at retelling the story.
"So have you told her you love her?" He asked when the laughing ebbed and her recounting was over.
The blonde sighed and tilted her head in thought. Her eyes looked past her friend and settled on a flyer someone had posted on a corkboard across the room. "You know, I haven't." She finally replied.
"But you do?" Wells asked. "Because I've seen Clarke Griffin 'in love' before, and this is one hundred times that."
Clarke looked back to her friend before finishing the last of her coffee. "She is about one hundred times more special."
"Cute." He smiled. "And corny." He teased.
"Shut up, Wells." The blonde smiled. "But it's true, I do love her."
"Then tell her."
Clarke nodded. "So how about you, Mr. Wells? Found a college girl to make your wife, yet?"
The guy smiled as he held up his finger to signal for her to wait. She wondered what he was up to when she realized he was headed back to the counter to order another round for them.
When Wells hugged her goodbye outside of her hotel, it was much later than Clarke had planned to get back by. And as she waved at his car, she felt the sudden pang of worry because she left Lexa hanging for much longer than she promised.
She rushed up to her room, and didn't bother to get comfortable before she tapped Lexa's contact photo and pushed send.
"Hi, Virginia." Lexa smiled into her phone.
"Hi, baby. I'm sorry that I didn't call you right away." Clarke replied.
"That's fine." The girl replied. "What happened?"
"I went to visit them." Was all she said as she plopped on the bed with a heavy sigh.
Lexa mulled over what to ask or say for a quiet second. "How was it, are you ok?" She worried and hated she couldn't be there with her girlfriend.
Clarke nodded at no one. "I'm not sure."
"Do you feel better?"
"No." It pained her to admit that, but it was the truth. "I don't feel any better than when I walked up to their graves." She continued. "I cried until I couldn't, but I don't feel any sense of closure. When do I get to feel that? What do I have to do to feel it?" The blonde asked, her voice desperately seeking help from her girlfriend, who was thousands of miles away dealing with her own life-altering trip.
"Closure doesn't choose you." Lexa shrugged. "You have to choose it, or it'll be like a bad relationship that never ends and is always hanging on by a thread."
"So, I'm keeping myself from letting go?" Clarke knitted her brows in consternation.
Lexa sighed. "Somehow you might be."
"But how? What am I doing?" The blonde questioned herself out loud.
"I don't know, Clarke. But you might need to search a little more. It's not going to be easy, and it's going to hurt, but it's the only way."
The girl nodded again. "I'd probably still be there crying myself dry if it weren't for Wells."
"Your friend? The one that drove you to the hospital that night?"
"The very one." Clarke responded. "Turns out he visits them whenever he's on break from college and takes care of their sites."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"That's nice of him."
"Well, he knew my parents, and he wasn't opposed to me being with Finn, so…" She paused. "Anyway, I think I'm going back tomorrow."
"Really?" Lexa felt suddenly useless as she realized the distance was keeping her from being the emotional and moral support her blonde needed. "I'll be a call away."
"I know, babe. I would have called you, but I wanted to deal with it on my own. I know I can."
"I know you can, too." Lexa encouraged her.
They stayed on the phone for an hour as they took turns talking about their separate business meetings and how ready they were to use the money from their first checks on a nice vacation. Each one neglected to go near any specific numbers when they smiled into their phones and gloated playfully about their first official paychecks. Deciding it would be best to celebrate that small milestone together, in person.
Clarke walked up the hill one more time, hoping and praying that she could accomplish what she set out to.
When she found herself in front of the tombstones again, she sighed heavily. The tears didn't come at first, and she feared she was disrespecting them somehow.
A small part of her felt silly and childish with her sudden urge to speak her thoughts at the concrete slabs, but she did so anyway.
She spoke of her decision to leave Virginia, and how it had been the best choice she could make for herself. She asked her mother to forgive her for letting her down and abandoning the opportunities she had laid out for her with her connections, but she assured her that if the art career didn't pan out, she would return to the profession (which in all honesty she didn't find half bad if she really thought about it).
Then the tears came.
Because when she thought about her dad, and how he would never dance with her mom at another hospital function again, she couldn't take it. It was their tradition, and her obsession (secretly) to watch her parents run around the house as they helped each other get ready for the yearly event.
The way her mother would help her dad with his bow tie, which he could never figure out no matter how many engineering degrees he possessed. How he would, in turn, always fasten the tiny hook at the apex of her zippered dress because she couldn't reach, and Clarke's fingers were too inexperienced for the job. And how the blonde was always tasked with snapping a photo for them before they walked out.
Her dad loved those nights because her mom loved those nights.
Clarke wanted to fall to her knees as the memories flooded the black canvas of her tightly shut lids.
She didn't, but she cried for her parents still.
And she cried for Finn.
Because he had been great to her, and had managed to earn her trust and her heart after having lost both to Roan years prior.
Clarke cried for so long that she lost track of time. Her phone, the cold that nipped at her nose and tear-streaked face, and her cold fingers long forgotten.
And she still didn't feel any better.
"I'm sorry." She whispered into the cold breeze. "I'm so sorry."
There it was. The horrible hidden thing that had kept her from resolving her sadness and anger resided in her guilt.
Or, her ability to absolve herself from it.
It took a lot of strength for her to recall that night, and reassure herself that what happened on the highway, and her family dying in that car, had nothing to do with her. A small voice kept fighting to be heard, contradicting what she kept repeating to herself, but she was resigned to ignore it knowing full well that it would never really go away.
So, she made up her mind- she would fight the fight against that voice until her last breath. Because she deserved to live free of the blame and with an open heart.
Now she just needed the most important person in her life to know that.
Lexa walked out of the conference room with purpose in her step.
She wanted nothing more but food and the chance to check her phone to see if Clarke had called her.
She sighed as she stepped out of the elevator and headed for the exit doors. A smile broke out on her face when she saw the text.
Clarke: I'm checking in. I'm ok.
Lexa: I'm glad to hear that, babe.
Clarke: I miss you.
Lexa: I miss you, too.
Clarke: I need to see you.
Lexa wrinkled her nose with worry.
Lexa: Just a couple of days and I'll meet you at home, ok?
Clarke: Fine.
Lexa: Are you sure you're alright?
Clarke: Yes, but I'll feel better when I see you.
Lexa: I promise to treat you to a nice dinner when we get back.
Clarke: I'm holding you to that.
Lexa: Sounds good to me.
Clarke: Hey
Lexa: Yeah?
Clarke: You better not be eating any onion rings without me.
Lexa: I'm not. I won't. Geesh.
They laughed in unison from behind their own phones. Time could not move fast enough.
The next morning Lexa texted her girlfriend again before she entered the room full of MPC members. She was excited, but equally as nervous as the day neared for them to give her feedback on her new ending. She kept reminding herself it was worth it.
She sat and listened to each topic of discussion diligently until lunch time neared, then all she could think about was greasy food.
Discreetly she typed away a message.
Lexa: I can't stop thinking about onion rings…thanks.
Not long after, she got a response.
Clarke: You better not, Silva.
Lexa: If I do, I blame you.
Clarke: I swear…
Lexa: Fine. Fine. But I AM going to get me a burger for lunch.
Clarke: With fries?
Lexa: *nods* Lots of them.
Clarke: Other couples sext. CLEXA: FOOD PORN.
Lexa covered her mouth with the palm of her hand so she could stifle the wide grin and soft snort that was evoked by the text. She was impressed no one had so much as turned their eyes towards her.
Lexa: We knew it from the beginning, we both like food. It was inevitable.
Clarke: Ugh. I want to kiss you right now.
Lexa: When are you heading home?
Clarke: Now. I'm on the next flight out of here.
Lexa: Ugh. Wait for me. I'll be out of here tomorrow at midnight.
Clarke: You'll know where to find me. ;-)
When the day ended, Ms. Spencer and Mr. Wallace had closed their meeting with a chart of what markets they wanted to set out for first, and a projection of sales numbers. It gave Lexa hope seeing what they thought was possible with her story on the shelves, and it hurt a little less that the book would not feature her original ending.
The following day would be the final meeting, and she hated to admit that her nerves were cranked up to a full ten, but she managed to ignore the anxious feeling as she headed to the hotel for a lonely dinner. She contemplated calling Clarke, but she knew it was highly likely that the blonde would be sleeping away her trip.
Lexa looked up from her key card and stopped in her tracks when she saw the subject of her thoughts standing outside of her hotel room door.
"Clarke?" The brunette began to move closer with a confused yet giddy smile in place.
Clarke smiled just as wide as she shrugged. "I've had the best and worst two days of my life.
"Clarke…" Lexa attempted to comfort her with words in vain as the other girl continued to talk in a hurry.
Her eyes examined the brunette's features. Her eyes, her lips, and oh that jaw. "I should have flown home, but you weren't going to be there."
The brunette's smile softened and she stopped advancing only when she was toe to toe with her girl. "Are you really ok?"
Contemplating her answer, because this time she had heard Lexa cut in, Clarke nodded. "I am. I really really am, and I wanted to see you."
"Babe…" Lexa interjected.
"Shut up. Let me finish." Clarke interrupted again and the writer laughed softly at that before she waited quietly for the girl to continue. "I couldn't wait one more day to see you. Going back to Virginia was a blessing in disguise."
Lexa's eyes traveled past her girlfriend's head when she caught a couple that was staring at them from the end of the hall. "Um, we have an audience. Care to move this inside?"
"Shut up, Lexa." Clarke pulled her in forcefully before slamming her lips on hers. Their kiss was messy and desperate as their hands sought each other out. If it weren't for the burning in their lung, they would have kept going. Alas, they needed to breathe and the blonde pulled away slowly. Her face was suddenly flushed red, but her eyes never looked so calm and honest. "I love you."
TBC…
*whistles casually* So Anya and Raven. Still lots of juicy details there...hidden...sure...but there. And Clarke finally gets paid for a painting! Yikes. How about Lexa? She's probably got a nice lump of change in her pocket now, huh? How fitting that our girls are getting their payback almost at the same time. They've earned it don't you guys think? I'm just glad Clarke finally closed the chapter on her pain. I'm sure it will never really go away, but at least she's learning to live with it. *whistles casually again* Ok, ok, fine. CLARKE SAID SHE LOVES LEXA! AND...we didn't get to find out if Lexa said it back because I decided to be evil and end it there. Muahahaha. Next week, ya'll. Tune in to find out. ;-)
