It was quieter and colder than Clarke had expected, gently she shut the car door behind her, looking up at the tall building with the long windows. Her phone lit up when she pressed the home button. 1:54. At least, she didn't have to worry about her mom calling her. She had told her mom she'd be sleeping at Octavia's. And Octavia had agreed to cover for her, if Clarke would do her English homework for two weeks. Clarke had agreed begrudgingly.
Clarke leaned against her car as another car passed by. She had honestly expected it to be noisier in the city. Even at night.
She took a deep breath and pushed herself off of her car, and walked towards the fire escape attached to the tall building on the corner. She knew that what she was doing insane, climbing up a fire escape to her project partner's room. But she knew the look on Lexa's face would be priceless. Besides, it was time Lexa did something spontaneous and slightly dangerous.
Halfway up the fire escape, Clarke stopped and tried to remember how high up she was. Lexa lives on the fourth floor, but was Clarke on the third or the fourth? She decided to just look into the windows she passed. She knew what Lexa's room looked like, they'd known each other for three years, she'd been in her room when they had to work on projects outside of school. But never to hang out.
The third window Clarke glimpsed into was unmistakably Lexa's room. The roller blinds were halfway down, the room was dark except for a small source of light in the corner which Clarke suspected to be a nightlight. Clarke wasn't able to see the rest of the room, but she knew there were space and band posters on the wall. Clarke checked her phone. 2:01.
Clarke took a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs, and knocked on the window. She waited, but no reaction came. No movement, the room stayed dark. Clarke took another breath and knocked again, louder this time.
Lexa woke to a loud noise coming from outside, slowly she opened her eyes. It stayed quiet for a moment, followed by the same sound. Lexa tried to place the sound. Was someone knocking on her window? She looked at her alarm clock. 2:03. She stayed completely still, until she heard 'fucking hell' coming from outside her window. Lexa sat up, and turned towards the window. A dark figure was staring back at her.
"What in the hell."
The figure waved at her, and Lexa knew for sure a serial killer wouldn't wave at her. A serial killer wouldn't knock either, she reasoned as she switched on the light next to her bed and moved towards the other end of her double bed. One side placed directly under the window.
"Jesus," Lexa said as she saw who it was. She knelt on her bed on pushed the window open. "What the fuck are you doing?" She asked as the figure moved her head towards the light and leaned her arms on Lexa's windowsill.
"Hi,"
"Clarke, what the fuck."
"I've come to take you on an adventure."
"No. Goodnight." Lexa moved to close the window, but Clarke touched her arm.
"You're not seriously leaving me outside right? It's incredibly late."
Lexa saw Clarke's shit eating grin, even in the faint light. "Fine, you can sleep here."
"Yeah see, I would. But, we're not sleeping tonight because we're going on an adventure. Put on warm clothes." Clarke said, gesturing to her own black hoodie with a letterman jacket thrown over it.
"Fine." Lexa growled. She got off her bed, quickly turning around to tell Clarke to look away while she put on her bra. When she had done so, she put her sleeping shirt back on, put a pullover on and grabbed her leather jacket. When she moved back towards the window, Clarke snorted.
"Lex, pants, and shoes."
"Right." Lexa looked around her room, finally finding her sweat pants and shoes.
She grabbed her phone, turned off the light next to her bed, climbed out of the window, and pulled the window down until it was almost shut. Clarke beamed up at her.
"Why are we doing this?"
"Because adventures are fun! And you don't have enough fun."
"I have plenty of fun." Lexa insisted as she followed Clarke down the fire escape.
"Sure you do."
"Like you have so much fun in your fucking ice hockey team." Lexa retorted, finding her ammunition in Clarke's letterman jacket.
"I do actually, you should come watch practice sometime." Clarke said as she hopped down the last few stairs. Lexa tried to disguise how much she actually wanted to watch Clarke's practices by huffing.
"No more complaining. Follow me." Clarke said, turning around to Lexa. Lexa couldn't help but think that Clarke even looked pretty in the dark. Lexa nodded and Clarke marched off, Lexa quickly following her.
When they turned around the corner, Clarke slowed her pace to walk next to Lexa. Lexa had her hands in her jacket pockets, shielding them from the cold. Clarke seemed to not feel the cold.
"Did you walk all the way here?" Lexa breathed.
"I took my car."
"Then why are we walking?" Lexa asked.
"Because this is an adventure."
"Of course."
They walked on in silence, Lexa couldn't help but enjoy walking with Clarke. Sure, it was dark, and cold and she felt like they could get jumped on, robbed and left to die in an alley any second, but it was nice. Every few minutes the wind would blow the scent of Clarke's hair towards Lexa and she would feel her heart swell. She'd had a crush on Clarke for the past half year, working with Clarke on every project for every class they had together had become normal. And now here she was, in the middle of the fucking night, walking next to Clarke Griffin, going on an adventure.
"Where are we going?" Lexa asked.
"First stop, the park."
"Why?" Lexa asked, hunching her shoulders against a gust of cold air.
"It's supposed to be really pretty." Just like you. Lexa thought. She looked at Clarke, the light of the streetlights showing only the shadows on her face. For the first time she noticed Clarke was wearing a backpack.
"What's in the bag?"
"So many questions," Clarke grinned, "You'll see." Lexa pretended it was enough. It could be enough. For Clarke she could pretend it was enough.
They turned another corner and the entrance to the park came in sight. The gate was closed. When Lexa pointed this out to Clarke, Clarke just shrugged and kept on walking. They stopped in front of the gate. Clarke threw her bag over the gate.
"I hope that didn't break anything," She chuckled, before pulling herself up and swinging her leg over the gate.
"Your turn." She said. Looking at Clarke, Lexa thought Clarke was insane, she shook her head, but climbed over the gate anyway. The smile she received when she landed next to Clarke made it worth it.
"C'mon," Clarke said as she shouldered her bag.
They walked through the trees, the already fallen leaves crunching underneath their feet. Lexa could hear nothing but Clarke's soft breathing. Clarke was walking too close to her. She could feel Clarke's arm brushing against hers as it swayed with every step Clarke took.
"Here it is." Clarke said as they passed a tree, clearing the view of a beautiful lake, the sky filled with stars. Clarke walked as close to the water as she could, before dropping down at the shore. Lexa sat down next to her.
"I told you it was pretty." Clarke said.
"You did."
Clarke opened the bag, pulling out a bottle. She turned off the cap and took a swig before handing it to Lexa.
"Did you seriously-"
"Drink, pretty girl." And so Lexa did. The alcohol burned on the way down Lexa's throat. She grimaced and shook her head, and handed Clarke the bottle back.
"Good?" Clarke grinned, taking another swig.
"It burns."
"That's the point."
They sat in silence, Lexa starting to feel the buzz of the liquor. The silence was broken by a chuckle from Clarke.
"What?" Lexa asked.
"It's just funny. The way we can be quiet so much without it being awkward." Clarke took another swig from the bottle. She'd had much more to drink than Lexa had.
"Yeah." Lexa answered, unsure if it was meant to be a good thing.
"It's nice. Really nice." Clarke smiled at Lexa. She offered her the last bit of alcohol, and Lexa took it.
Clarke looked up at the stars, putting her hand on the grass. Too close to Lexa's. Lexa swallowed and debated moving her hand, but she decided against it, afraid of arousing suspicion.
"Which ones are planets?"
"What?"
"The stars, they're not all stars right? Some of them are planets. Which ones?"
Lexa raised her hand and pointed, feeling Clarke's gaze follow her hand.
"That one, close to the moon. That's Venus." Lexa pointed, and Clarke nodded. "That one there, is Jupiter." Clarke nodded again, but Lexa lowered her arm. "I don't know any other ones." Lexa admitted. Clarke smiled at Lexa, and moved her hand so it was resting atop of Lexa's. Lexa thought her heart was going to explode.
Clarke checked her phone, her face lit up with the light from her phone, and Lexa could see the slight blush on her cheeks. 3:01.
"We should go," Clarke said, and Lexa briefly wondered if they were going home. As if reading Lexa's mind, Clarke smiled and added, "To our next destination!"
Clarke got up, put the bottle back in her bag and slung the bag over her shoulder. She extended her arm and Lexa took it.
They walked through the park, Lexa's hand still in Clarke's. Clarke guided Lexa through a hole in the fence, leading them to the sidewalk.
"Why didn't we just take this way before?"
"Because-"
"It's an adventure." Lexa finished, recognizing the grin on Clarke's face by now.
"Yes, and if you had known the way out I wouldn't have had to guide you out and then I wouldn't have an excuse to hold your hand." Clarke added. Lexa could feel a blush spreading across her cheeks, Clarke just looked at her.
Clarke smiled, "C'mon."
They walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. Now they were back in the heart of the city, it was almost impossible to see the stars, the light from the buildings polluting the sky. A car passed them, headlights big and bright, and was gone seconds after. Clarke's hand was cold in hers, Lexa looked at Clarke. The light from the buildings made her hair shine and illuminated her face from the side. Clarke turned her head at towards Lexa and grinned so wide Lexa thought her heart would burst.
They walked onto the main shopping street of the city, usually busy, but now quiet. Lexa swore she could feel Clarke walking closer to her, their arms touching, still holding hands.
"You know I only went with you because I didn't want you to be alone right?" Lexa joked, causing Clarke to squeeze her hand.
"Yeah right, that's totally what your face is saying right now."
"Okay, so what is my face saying?"
Clarke slowed to a halt at the end of the street, the street opening up into a square. Clarke turned towards Lexa, still smiling.
"That you're enjoying this."
The truth is, Clarke really liked Lexa. The way Lexa's face lit up in the park when she pointed out the planets made Clarke like her even more. And the way Lexa kept asking what they were doing, but still going along with whatever bullshit answer Clarke gave her. Of course, Clarke was making it up as she went.
"Okay, so what is my face saying?"
Clarke stopped walking at the end of the street. She looked at Lexa, she could feel how big her smile was.
"That you're enjoying this."
In reality, Lexa's face said much more than just enjoyment, but Clarke couldn't quite place it. So she settled on enjoyment, and started walking towards the centre of the square. They sat down on the edge of some stairs leading down toward a statue in the exact centre of the square. Clarke watched Lexa carefully, Lexa was gazing at the buildings around the square. Government buildings, Clarke thought.
She removed her bag from her back and pulled out another bottle. Something a little bit stronger this time. It's not like she needed to be drunk, she just liked the taste of it. And she figured Lexa did too, by the way Lexa eyed the bottle.
But Clarke put the bottle down next to her, before looking at her phone. 3:35. She put her phone away, picked the bottle back up and took a gulp.
"Want some?" Lexa nodded and took the bottle, swinging it back, taking a huge gulp. Clarke eyed Lexa, her hair down and wild. She didn't get to see Lexa with her hair down a lot, but when she did, she loved it.
"I like your hair like this." Clarke said, already starting to feel the barriers going down. Lexa ducked her head and smiled shyly. They silently passed the bottle back and forth for a while, until they heard a cough behind them. They turned around to see a police officer looking down at them, Clarke saw Lexa muffle the bottle behind her thighs.
"Ladies."
"Hello sir," Clarke replied, trying her best to seem sober.
"You two are out late. Don't you have anywhere safer to be?"
"We're just enjoying the quiet. My mother is coming to pick us up in about five minutes." Lexa interjected. She must've seemed believable, because the officer nodded, smiled and tipped his head. "Don't drink too much of that, nasty headache." And with that he walked off.
"That was amazing." Clarke whispered excitedly when the officer was out of earshot.
Lexa shrugged and smiled at Clarke ."Lying is easy." Clarke nodded, it probably also helped that Lexa looked responsible. Even when tilting her head back to swallow a large amount of booze.
"I quite like this adventure." Lexa chuckled.
"Me too." I quite like you.
"Do you want to go?" Clarke asked her.
"Go where?"
"To continue the adventure of course!"
Lexa got up and extended her hand for Clarke to take. She took her hand before checking her phone. 3:55. They walked out of the square, Lexa noticing a small bounce in Clarke's step.
"Wait, my phone is ringing." Clarke stopped, fishing her phone from her jacket. She broke away from Lexa, taking a small step away from her, but keeping her eyes on Lexa.
"Hey.
I'm at home.
Yes, I'm sure.
You did what? Are you crazy?
That's none of your business!"
Lexa watched Clarke furrow her brows, noticed how her hand movements got more erratic. She wondered who Clarke was on the phone with, it was probably her boyfriend. The idiot who did more illegal things than legal things, constantly broke promises, and- Lexa could go on and on about the things he did wrong.
"You fucking asshole." Clarke hung up before letting out an exasperated groan. Lexa raised her eyebrows in question.
"It was Finn." The boyfriend.
"What did he do?"
"The son of a bitch went by my house, saw I wasn't home and fucking called my mom." Clarke saw the expression on Lexa's face.
"But I'm at Octavia's, so it's not a problem. Fucking idiot."
Lexa frowned. "He's probably just worried, being your boyfriend and all." She didn't really believe Finn had the capacity to be worried. He was probably more worried about her being somewhere having fun without him, than her actually being in danger.
Clarke let out a small chuckle. "Not my boyfriend, we broke up three weeks ago. Didn't I tell you?"
Lexa shook her head, breathing a sigh of relief. Clarke smiled, took Lexa's hand and signalled for Lexa to keep walking.
"He's an idiot so I broke it off, he just won't let go."
"I'll beat him up."
Clarke laughed and squeezed Lexa's hand. They crossed the road, then dodged the water puddles on the sidewalk.
"You don't think I could beat him up?"
"I do."
Clarke shifted her hand, for a split second Lexa panicked that she had said something wrong and Clarke didn't want to hold her hand anymore, but then she felt Clarke interlace her fingers with hers. Warmth spread across her cheeks.
"You're cute when you're protective." Clarke said, smiling up at Lexa.
"You're always cute." Lexa blurted out, quickly turning her head away from Clarke. When she looked back, she could see Clarke smile shyly as she watched a car pass them.
"My hands are cold." Lexa said after a few minutes of silence. Clarke moved their joint hands to the pocket of her letterman jacket.
"This better?" Lexa nodded.
Lexa could feel the alcohol starting to set in, her ability to walk in a straight line was decreasing rapidly, especially when she was distracted. And she was distracted, even more so when she felt Clarke's thumb drawing circles against her skin. Clarke chuckled, breathing out little clouds of vapour.
"What?" Lexa asked, unsure of whether she even wanted to know what Clarke found so amusing.
"Nothing. This is just, nice. Easy."
Lexa smiled, "You've said that before."
"Doesn't make it less true."
"Nice doesn't feel like an adequate word for this," Lexa said, looking left and right before crossing the street. Not that there was any kind of traffic they should be mindful of.
Clarke hummed, choosing to focus on walking rather than talking. Lexa was glad, she needed to concentrate on walking. She felt like the world kept shifting beneath her feet. They turned another corner, Lexa figured they'd been walking for at least ten minutes since Finn had called.
"I half expected you to take me to a bar," Lexa breathed. She could feel Clarke's laugh more than hear it, her shoulders shook slightly.
"That wouldn't make for a very good first date."
Lexa felt the world spin, but that could've been the booze.
"Wait… Date?"
Clarke made a low hissing sound, which could only be the beginning of a swear word. Lexa stopped walking and faced Clarke.
"I mean… Yes." Clarke confessed, looking up at Lexa.
"We're you even planning on telling me?" Lexa asked, trying to contain her excitement. Clarke dipped her head.
"Eventually, I think. Do you mind it being a date?" Clarke asked, her eyes suddenly back on Lexa's.
"Not at all." Lexa smiled, squeezing Clarke's hand. Clarke smiled, before pulling out her phone, it lit up her face and Lexa could see the red of Clarke's cheeks. Either from the cold or from the moment.
"It's 4:21." Clarke announced, putting her phone away.
"Does that mean we have to go back?" Lexa asked, suddenly afraid the night would be over and lost.
"No way." Clarke grinned, and signalled for Lexa to keep walking. They were both having difficulty walking in a straight line, so they swayed over the sidewalk. Clarke guided Lexa into a dark alley, Lexa only worrying for a second, she didn't like the dark, she even had a nightlight in her room. Clarke must've felt Lexa's hold on her hand tighten, because she turned towards Lexa.
"Don't worry, I'm here." She smiled slightly, reassuring Lexa.
Clarke guided Lexa through the alley, to the fire escape, which had a small light on the wall next to it. Lexa loosened her grip on Clarke's hand. Clarke figured the reason Lexa liked the stars so much was that when the stars were out, it was never truly dark. Little beacons of light in the darkness. Maybe Lexa hadn't thought about it like that herself, but Clarke had.
"Climb up," She told Lexa, who only look incredulously at her.
"All the way to the top, I'll be right behind you." The fire escape was only a ladder with a safety around it this time. Lexa's hands found the first bar and she started climbing. She liked climbing, was good at it too. Clarke had seen her climb at the climbing club at school, she always beat everyone to the top. Clarke sometimes went to her practices, but never by invite, she just showed up unexpectedly, the smile she'd get from Lexa as a reward was worth the trouble of sneaking out of class. Or detention.
About halfway up the ladder, Lexa looked down at Clarke.
"What are we even going to do on top of a roof?"
"You'll see." Clarke knew she was annoying by now, acting mysterious. But she wanted everything to be a surprise for Lexa. She kept climbing, and eventually climbed over the edge after Lexa.
Lexa stood with her hands on her hips, taking in the view. Clarke watched a grin spread across Lexa's face. Lexa met Clarke's eyes and her smile softened.
"This is amazing." She whispered. Clarke nodded as she put her backpack on the rooftop, pulling out a blanket and spreading it out. She gestured for Lexa to sit on it, and when she did, Clarke flopped down next to her.
"This is a pretty good date huh?" Clarke asked, shifting closer to Lexa.
"It is, considering I didn't know it was a date until fifteen minutes ago." Lexa laughed.
"Sorry about that," Clarke laughed, unsure of what to do with her hands, so she went with putting them behind them, slightly leaning back. Lexa sighed as she also leaned on her hands.
"Do you have any more?" Lexa asked, watching Clarke carefully. Clarke frowned.
"Anymore what?"
"Surprises."
"Depends." Clarke answered simply. Lexa hummed and looked out over the city. They were quiet for a while, taking in the view, both of them sneaking glances at each other when the other wasn't looking.
"Clarke."
"Yeah?" Clarke looked at Lexa, her eyes soft and steady.
"I like you." Lexa's nervous expression changed into a smile when she saw Clarke smile at her.
"I like you too."
Lexa smiled even wider before looking back out at the city, Clarke watched Lexa take everything in. Suddenly, Lexa turned back to Clarke.
"You don't mean just as friends right?"
Clarke laughed, "No, I definitely mean as more than friends."
"Good. I'm going to kiss you now." Lexa announced.
"Okay." Clarke said, still leaning back on her hands.
Lexa lightly cupped Clarke's jaw before lightly placing her lips on Clarke's. It was soft and sweet. Lexa pulled back slightly, but Clarke pulled her back. Her tongue slid over Lexa's lips as she felt a hand on her waist. It felt like feeling the first snowfall of the year, new and exciting but familiar.
This time Clarke pulled back, earning a frown from Lexa.
"Need to check the time." Clarke explained before pulling out her phone. 4:50.
"We should go," Clarke announced, putting her phone away. She quickly kissed Lexa again, her lips lingering for a second, before getting up and extending her hand out to Lexa.
"Why?" Lexa asked, reluctant to leave but letting Clarke help her up anyway.
"We have to walk back, and I need to drive back to Octavia's house before her parents wake up." Clarke retrieved the blanket from the ground, struggling to not fall over.
"You're not driving home." Lexa insisted, shaking her head slightly.
"Then where am I sleeping?" Clarke met Lexa's eyes with a grin, before guiding the way down the fire escape.
Kissing Clarke felt staying up late to see the stars on a clear night. It felt like snow melting and flowers blossoming. Lexa now knew what poets meant. Admittedly, she liked kissing Clarke way too much. So when they finally reached the bottom of the ladder, she cupped Clarke's jaw and kissed her, again. Gentle, but eager. Clarke hands moved to her waist, pulling Lexa closer. Lexa's tongue slid over Clarke's bottom lip and Clarke's mouth opened in response. Clarke's hands reached up and tangled in Lexa's hair, Lexa thought she should wear her hair down more often if this was the result.
When Clarke pulled back she had a smile on her face, she grabbed Lexa's hand and they left the alley. Lexa still thought the alley was too dark to feel comfortable in, but holding Clarke's hand went a long way. They walked back on the same street they came from, this time passing the street that led to the square. All the while holding hands, Lexa tracing circles with her thumb. The streetlights illuminated Clarke's face, and Lexa could see the small smile on her lips.
"Do you want to walk through the park?" Clarke asked as they reached the hole in the fence. Lexa knew walking through the park would take more time, so she hummed a yes. Clarke climbed through the fence, waiting for Lexa on the other side with an extended hand.
They walked underneath the trees, it was too dark to see the branches, but Lexa imagined what they looked like, barren and empty. They passed the lake, pausing briefly to look at the stars. Clarke squeezed Lexa's hand, before they walked towards the gate. Lexa climbed over first this time, Clarke struggling to get over smoothly. She stumbled when she got back on the ground, competing with gravity to regain her balance. Lexa snorted at the sight of Clarke stretching both her arms out to the sides.
"Very smooth."
"Shut up." Clarke laughed, before taking Lexa's hand again.
"I quite like you, Clarke." Lexa said as they started walking.
"You've said that before," Clarke answered, smile tugging at her lips.
"I know."
It was way too soon that they rounded a corner and were on Lexa's street. Lexa tried to draw out each moment by walking slower, but she still felt like time was going too fast. A car passed them, headlights lighting up their faces.
"I'll come watch your practice sometime."
"Yeah?" Clarke asked, stopping underneath the fire escape.
"Yeah." Lexa nodded, getting a kiss on her cheek in response.
"I should go home, it's -" Clarke pulled out her phone, "5:30."
"You're not driving." Lexa insisted, pulling Clarke's arm as she moved up the first few stairs. Clarke followed her up to the fourth floor, and watched as Lexa slid her window open and put her left foot through, resting her knee on her bed.
"So I'm sleeping in your room?"
"Yes." Lexa said, turning back to Clarke and smiling, before tugging her hand and guiding her into her room. Lexa closed the window behind Clarke, Clarke shifted, feeling somewhat awkward. Lexa pulled a drawer open and handed Clarke a shirt.
"Uhm, I'll change in this corner, and you can-," Lexa gestured to the other corner, "change in that corner."
Clarke took off her jacket and hoodie, replacing them with the shirt Lexa had given her. She turned around to see Lexa looking at her, already in her sleeping attire.
"This is awkward." Lexa said, smiling shyly.
"Yeah," Clarke chuckled, taking off her pants.
"What side of the bed do you want?"
"I'll take the right side." Clarke climbed into the bed, Lexa turned off the light, and got in after Clarke. They both stared up at the ceiling in silence, both feeling the awkward tension between them that they usually didn't have.
"Is that a nightlight?" Clarke asked, noticing the small source of light she'd seen earlier.
"Yes." Lexa answered softly.
"That's cute."
It stayed quiet, so Clarke shifted so she was on her side, back facing Lexa.
"Goodnight." Lexa mumbled. Clarke could feel Lexa watching her, and she didn't like the amount of space that was in between them. It felt strange and foreign. She lay like that for a while, Lexa's steady breathing being the only sound in the room.
"Lexa." Clarke whispered, somehow afraid Lexa would already be asleep.
"Clarke."
"Come closer."
It was quiet for a while, until she felt Lexa shift and she could feel Lexa against her back. Slowly Lexa's hand moved over Clarke's waist. Clarke moved back a bit to be even closer to Lexa.
"You can watch me body check Octavia tomorrow if you come to practice."
"Saturday practices are the worst."
"True. But then I'll come to your practice after."
"Then you can watch me beat Raven."
"Sounds like a plan" Clarke mumbled contently.
She was already drifting off when she felt Lexa press a kiss to the back of her neck. She fell asleep to the feeling of Lexa's arm around her waist, the smell of Lexa's shampoo and the sound of Lexa's even breathing.