"This is crazy," Clarke whispered to herself spinning the small box of matches between her fingers as her knee bounces against the floor in her anxiety as her eyes lift to the single candle seeming to be mocking her from its resting place on the small table across from Clark's bed.
Picasso lifted his head from his paws giving her a curious look from his own makeshift bed a few paces away, but Clarke shook her head at the puzzled pooch. "Just remembering what Madi told me, but it can't really be true." The blonde tries to explain. "I mean it would only last for however long it would take the candle to burn. But if that's true I'd only get one shot."
"Are you still debating this?"
Clarke started in surprise, but Octavia doesn't seem at all bothered by startling the one a few among their group still call Wenheda. "Just do it. The worst that can happen is you get a nice night light to fall asleep to while the best…." She trails off as she takes a seat beside the fidgeting blonde.
"It just seems-"
"Too good to be true?" Octavia finishes whilst Clarke nods her head in agreement.
"I mean why all the keeping me from transcending only to turn around and offer me- this." She pauses looking toward the candle again then glancing over at her friend as if to gain some kind of answer.
"Well, the Judge did say it was mostly Madi and Abby's idea" the dark-haired girl reminded "So it can't be all bad."
"But that will just make it hurt more if it turns out to be some big joke." Clarke argues
"Listen Princess." Octavia huffs turning the full power of her best 'I'm not amused' glares on the anxious blonde. "If it were me, I'd have already lighted the dumbed thing by now. Again, the worst that can happen is it doesn't work and the rest of us can take turns trying to beat Judgy Mc Judgerson next time they show up during dinner."
Clarke can feel herself giggling before she can attempt to hide her amusement. "But this is different."
"How so?" Octavia probes annoyance not layering her tone as she turns from fawning over the dog who'd padded over seeking attention to glaring fully at her best friend.
Clarke has the decency to drop her gaze before answering her with a whispered. "Because if it doesn't work you still have Levitt."
"But as much as I've grown to care for him, he's not Lincoln." Octavia reminds in a voice just shy of audible in the quiet room. "And if I had the chance to see him, to be with him for one more night." She stops her gaze unfocused as the smallest of smiles pulls at her lips.
"I can't O. A night isn't enough when I'm with her."
Both women are crying now, and Picasso is doing his best to comfort both with his head resting in Clark's lap and his body laying across Octavia's given how close the two were sitting together.
"Just do it, Clarke." Octavia coaxes then clicks her tongue as she stands signaling the golden furred dog to follow her back toward the door. It takes a little more convincing than originally thought given how protective Picasso was over the blonde-haired girl but finally, she'd managed it.
"Good luck, Griff."
Her hands are shaking so much she can barely strike the match let alone bringing the burning bit of kindling close enough to catch the candle wick before the small flame burnt itself out. And all this she achieved with her eyes tightly closed.
Clarke doesn't know what she'd been expecting when she opens her eyes after a quick backward countdown of a full sixty seconds, but that unknown feeling just made her feel even worse when a quick look around showed she was still the only one in the makeshift tent she called home.
She considered blowing out the mocking candle but couldn't summon the energy as she turns and throws herself face first and fully clothed onto her bed instead. Blindly her hands grab for her pillow hugging it as tight as she could against the breaking feeling coming from her chest as he hides her tear-stained face against the soft fur.
"You know I hate seeing you cry, Klarke."
The blonde goes stock still at the pained voice now tickling against her ear but it's the warm grounding weight of another's arm snaking around her middle from behind as the body it belonged to molded against her hunched back that had a ragged breath slipping from Clarke's shocked lips.
"Lexa?!"
"You were expecting someone else?" she knew the dark-haired warrior was attempting humor but given how harsh her tone was on the accusing question it wasn't interlay achieved as those strong arms held her tighter against that delicate, deadly body. As if daring anyone to attempt to separate them again.
Without daring to open her eyes Clarke maneuvers around so the pair would be facing one another if she would be brave enough to look, but instead she nuzzles her head against the crook of the other woman's neck rebranding that delicate, distinct flavor into her memory once again.
Candle flame, the mucky scent of the deep forest, the soft charcoal undertone that always lingered even after she'd washed away her war paints.
Again, without opening her eyes Clarke starts to kiss a path from Lexa's shoulder up toward her lips.
"Open your eyes, Niron." Her soulmate pleads offer more than a few traded kisses between them.
Slowly watery blue finds searching forest green.
"Lexa."
The clean faced commander gives a shy smile at the sound of her name.
"Klarke."
They kiss again. Slower this time.
"What's the catch?" Clarke hears herself asking once the need for breath drives them to separate.
"Catch?" Lexa echoes
"I failed the test."
Leza nodes "You killed during the test." She reminds pressing little Eskom kisses against Clark's nose.
"But now I get to have this. I get you."
Lexa's smile was dazzling as she leans in to steal another on the lips kiss. "Sha, you do."
"but only till the candle burns down."
Lexa's gaze follows Clark's to the bedside table where the candle in question flickers in a nonexistent breeze, or maybe it was because the former Commander had picked that moment to toss away her lover's shirt onto the floor the same time Clarke had finished undoing the laces on her own chest covering garment. "Who says that's the only candle you'd be allowed?"
All thought of undressing her reborn lover here paused as shocked blue eyes find probing green.
"Don't-"
"I'm not, niron." Lexa promises "but you'd have to use them wisely else-" she trails off but her hands grip Clarke's hips that much harder once the last piece of separating clothing was stripped off.
"How many?"
"After this?" it was asked in a groan seeing as neither woman wanted to wait any longer than needed to relearn the other's body. "Hhhh-" Lexa's answer stalls under the next heated meeting of skin on skin.
"I'm guessing this was the test-"
Lexa can only nodes in agreement considering her other means of answering would be undignified moans earning a proud smirk from the blonde currently holding her against the bed.
"T—Th—thi-Thirteen."
Clarke had already guessed as much but it still stung hearing the number aloud. Even if it was said in a keened moan.
Made since.
"Better not waist a second then."
Lexa's only answer was to quickly roll them to she was the one in control. "Couldn't have said it better, Klarke."
