A/N: Was going to make this a two-shot...but i'm kinda into it, so i'm not stopping it here. maybe one more part, maybe twenty seven more parts. we'll see ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lexa strode into the apartment building at almost 7:30 PM the next Friday night. Her back was ramrod straight, and her chin was jutted up high in the air, but there was a look of defeat visible in her eyes.

"Lexa!" The brunette visibly relaxed at the sound of Clarke's voice. She turned to see Clarke sitting on the counter next to where Nyko was standing. "Have a good day, Nyko!" The blonde hopped off the counter and made her way over to Lexa, who was already waiting for the elevator to appear.

"Clarke." Lexa tried not to let her voice show how exhausted she was.

"You're late." Clarke stated simply while raising an eyebrow. The elevator dinged its arrival and both girls entered.

"As are you, it seems." Lexa responded, leaning forward to press the 10 and 16 buttons.

"No, I was talking to Nyko for like half an hour. Waiting on you." Clarke leaned back against the wall of the elevator and pulled her phone out to look at the time, same as she did every time she was on the elevator. Lexa smiled to herself. She enjoyed knowing that there were at least a few things in life that she could absolutely count on.

"Why were you waiting for me?" The brunette asked after realizing what Clarke had said.

"I gotta get my Lexa fix before you disappear all weekend, as usual." She grinned up at Lexa, watching as the older girl just shook her head and hid a smile.

"I don't disappear, Clarke, I just still have responsibilities. You're the one who becomes a hermit on the weekends." Lexa responded and Clarke erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Touché." Clarke calmed her laughter. The elevator dinged, signaling that they had reached Clarke's floor. She moved forward and leaned against the now open doors, not allowing them to close just yet. "Did you know Nyko's son, Artigas, wants to go to art school? That's what we were talking about."

"He is very talented." Lexa replied thoughtfully.

"You've seen his art?" Clarke looked at the brunette confused, not realizing just how close Lexa was to Nyko and Indra.

"I've been to Nyko's home a handful of times since I've known him." Lexa answered and Clarke nodded her head.

"That's awesome." The blonde looked like she wanted to say something else, but instead just released a sigh. "Well, I better get going. Have a good weekend, Lex." She backed away from the door and turned to make her way down the hall. Lexa tried to make herself stand still, but she couldn't do it. She finally pulled her hands out of her pockets and darted through the closing elevator doors and out into Clarke's hall.

"Clarke! Wait." She called after the blonde who quickly turned around to face her.

"Yes?" Clarke was still fumbling around in her large bag, searching for her keys no doubt. She looked up at Lexa and gave her a sweet smile.

"Would you…" Lexa stumbled over her words and mentally chastised herself. "Are you seeing anyone?" She asked before she lost the nerve.

"Like, dating?" Clarke stood up straight, having found her keys. She raised an eyebrow at the older woman.

"Yes." Lexa immediately regretted having asked at all. "I'm sorry if it's inappropriate of me to ask. I was…I just caught myself wondering." She groaned internally, practically yelling at herself in her own mind waiting for Clarke to react.

"I'm single." The blonde answered, and Lexa felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She gave a quick nod.

"Okay, good." She placed her hands back into her pant pockets and was about to turn and make her way back to the elevator when the sound of Clarke's voice stopped her.

"It's good that I'm single?" She joked and Lexa began to mentally chastise herself again.

"No, I mean…I don't…I'm not seeing anyone either." Lexa winced as she stumbled over her words. She was always so well spoken until she talked to Clarke, then she became a bumbling stuttering mess. It was embarrassing.

"Duly noted." Clarke raised an eyebrow and grinned at the brunette.

"Have a good weekend, Clarke." Lexa quickly turned and made her way onto the elevator.

"You too, Lex." Clarke grinned and gave Lexa a small wave as the doors closed between them. Lexa finally let out a very deep breath she had not realized she had been holding. That wasn't so hard, now was it?

Lexa sat on her couch, still wearing her black slacks and crisp white button up from her work day. Though, her tie was off and slung over the back of the couch, her sleeves were rolled up, and the top few buttons on her shirt were undone. She silently scrolled through the contacts on her phone for a few minutes before locking the device and tossing it onto the couch beside her. How had she known Clarke for a year now, and yet they hadn't exchanged numbers? She placed her hands over her face and groaned.

She had spent almost an hour talking herself into texting Clarke to see if she wanted to go out, and now she couldn't even do that. She looked back at her phone and weighed her options. She could just call Anya and go out with her, she always had a good time with her best friend. But she had been set on actually spending time with Clarke. She could call Indra and ask for Clarke's number. She was sure she would give it to her, even if it was inappropriate of her as Clarke's landlord. But Lexa couldn't ask Indra to get involved with her personal problems. She could show up at Clarke's door and just ask her face-to-face if she wanted to go out. But she would hate to pressure Clarke into saying yes. It would be so much easier to say no if she wanted to if she was just responding to a text.

Lexa made her decision and grabbed her phone. She made her way into her closet and placed her phone on the counter as she began peeling her work clothes off.

"Siri, call Anya." Lexa waited for her phone to respond, then listened to the ring of Anya's phone as she turned to look at herself in the full length mirror.

"Sexy Lexy, whaddup." Lexa always found herself rolling her eyes when Anya answered any of her calls. She turned her attention from the mirror and back to all of her clothes hanging up.

"Hello, Anya. Would you like to go out tonight? I can pick you up." Lexa pulled a pair of 'boyfriend' jeans off a hanger and pulled them on quickly. She bent down to roll the legs up a bit and waited for Anya's response.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Lex?" Lexa winced at Anya's language. She wasn't opposed to cursing herself, she just always felt that type of language should be reserved for a board room or a bedroom.

"What is the problem, Anya?" Lexa stood up and unlatched her bra by reaching around her back, then let it drop to the ground. She stood in the middle of her closet, wearing nothing but her loose fitted jeans, and she placed her hands on her hips, as if Anya could see her stance.

"I have plans tonight! I never would have expected you to want to go out two weekends in a row!" Lexa huffed and ran a finger through her now messy hair.

"It's fine, Anya. We can go out another time." She responded then opened a drawer to pull out a black sports bra. She pulled it on quickly.

"I'm the worst! I'm always so down to hang. I'm sorry. You know how long it's been since I've been on a date, Lex." She listened to Anya explain herself. "We can do something tomorrow, though?"

"Maybe next weekend. I'll just have Gustus grab a drink with me tonight, it's no problem." Lexa pulled a dark long sleeve shirt off a hanger. She yanked it over her head and made sure the buttons at the top of the shirt were undone. She exhaled gently, reveling in how she was becoming more and more comfortable in these casual clothes. Suits had been her security blanket for as long as she could remember.

"Okay, Lexy Poo. I'm sorry again! Have a good night!" Lexa heard her phone beep, signaling that Anya had hung up.

She made her way to the full length mirror again and held up two pair of shoes, a white pair of converse and a grey and white pair of adidas. She nodded and put the adidas back on the shoe rack then quickly pulled her converse on with no socks. She stood again and shrugged her leather jacket on and took another look at herself in the mirror.

Was she really putting this much thought into her appearance just to go get drinks with her body guard?... No. No she was not.

"I'm coming outta my caaage and I been doing just FINE gotta gotta be doooown because I want it ALL…" Clarke sang along loudly to the song her iHome was playing. She sat criss cross applesauce on her couch, carefully looking over a student's art project that was laying on her coffee table. "It started out with a kissss how did it end up like THIS it was only a kiss! It was only a –" She was interrupted by a polite knocking at her door. She reached over and paused the music then quickly made her way over to open the door.

"Lexa! Hi!" She was greeted by the tall brunette staring back at her. She took in what the older woman was wearing and felt her stomach shoot up into her throat at the sight of Lexa wearing loose fitted clothing, and her messy waves hanging unbound around her face.

"Clarke." Lexa never took her eyes off the blonde in front of her, but she took in the fact that she was wearing baggy sweats and an old tshirt covered in paint. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was wearing glasses. Lexa almost scolded herself for being so incredibly attracted to someone who looked like they had been ready for bed for hours.

"Come in, I'm sorry about the mess." Lexa stepped over the threshold and finally took a second to look around the apartment. She saw stacks of paintings surrounding the couch in every direction. She turned back to Clarke.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, no. I'm grading projects. You're a welcome distraction." Clarke went back to sit on the couch and let out a loud huff.

"I won't keep you long." Lexa clasped her hands behind her back, something she noticed she had started to do when she was nervous or anxious.

"Hush. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having Lexa Woods show up to my apartment unannounced?" Clarke raised an eyebrow at the older woman who was still standing right inside the now closed door.

"I was actually going to see if you would like to join me for a drink tonight, but we can do that another night." Lexa answered and Clarke noticed that the brunette was looking at anything and everything except her.

"Really?"

"Yes. My friend, Anya, already had plans for tonight." Lexa explained as her eyes landed on a picture framed on the wall. Clarke watched the other woman approach the picture. It was her favorite picture of her and her dad, taken just a few days before he passed away 9 years ago.

"So…" Clarke began and Lexa turned her attention back to the blonde. "I was your second choice, huh?" Clarke had to stop herself from giggling at how wide Lexa's eyes got.

"No! No, you were my first choice. I just didn't have your phone number." Lexa got quieter as the sentence went on. She placed her hands in the pockets of her jacket and looked back at the picture of Clarke and her father.

"We can fix that, ya know." Lexa turned back to the blonde on the couch.

"I would like that." Clarke motioned for Lexa to toss her her phone, which she did. Clarke quickly entered in her information then text herself from Lexa's phone so she would have the brunette's number as well. She tossed the phone back and Lexa caught it easily. She looked down and chuckled to herself at the fact that Clarke had put her name in her phone as 'my sun and my stars'. She and Clarke had bonded early in their friendship over their shared love of Game of Thrones. "Thank you." The brunette said simply, placing her phone back in her pocket.

"So, now you have no more excuses." Clarke re-situated herself on the couch, sitting criss cross applesauce again.

"Excuses for what?"

"For not asking me out, duh. You know I date women, you know I'm single, and now you have my number." Lexa broke out into a grin.

"I will not make any excuses, then." Lexa's gaze moved from Clarke's smiling face to the piles of paintings surrounding her on the floor. "I should let you get back to work."

"You can stay if you'd like. Company is always welcome."

"Are you sure? I'd hate to impose." Clarke waved her hand at the brunette nonchalantly, almost scoffing.

"I'm sure, Lex. Take your jacket off and sit down with me." Clarke moved a pile of paintings and patted the now empty space on the couch next to her.

"If you insist." Lexa gave a quick nod, then moved to shrug her jacket off her shoulders. She could feel Clarke's eyes on her back as she turned to place her jacket on the coat rack that was next to the door.

"Oh, shit." Lexa pulled her hand back, still holding the jacket and turned to face the younger woman.

"I'm sorry, would you like for me to hang my jacket elsewhere?" She asked and quickly scanned the room looking for another coat rack. Clarke just shook her head and laughed a bit.

"No, that's fine. I had just forgotten that coat rack existed." The blonde laughed again and Lexa hung her jacket up. She stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her jeans and made her way over to the couch where she gently sat down next to Clarke, being careful not to sit too close. "Anyway, wanna help me grade these art projects?"

"I'm afraid I don't know much about art, Clarke." Lexa shook her head.

"That's okay. We just have to make sure they meet the requirements." Clarke answered and reached for a few papers and a notebook that were on the end table.

"What are the requirements?"

"That they're finished and it looks like the student at least put in a little bit of effort." Clarke handed Lexa a grading rubric for her to look over.

"That's all?" She looked back up at the blonde, almost incredulously.

"I can't ask for too much." Clarke shrugged and Lexa put her rubric down. "They don't care about art. If I graded them how I wanted to, I'd have to fail most of them." Clarke shook her head and looked down at a painting. "I just can't be the reason these kids fail a class. Especially since art is a core class now, they have to take it in order to graduate. And they're so prone to dropping out if they fall behind in just one course." She looked back up at the brunette sitting next to her, and saw nothing but compassion in those green eyes.

"I understand." And Clarke knew she did.

"This job is so hard." Clarke laughed a little, reaching a hand up to wipe away a rogue tear.

"You're strong. You will learn how to help these kids, I know it." Lexa laid a gentle hand on Clarke's knee and squeezed it before placing it back in her own lap. Clarke gave her a small smile, one that was only meant for her.

"Thanks, Lex."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get these graded."

The two of them spent at least two hours grading projects. With each new painting Clarke would pick up, she would tell Lexa all about the student that painted it. Lexa learned about Dean, who actively said that he hated art but he was so talented. Clarke felt like something from his past was causing him to dislike art. She learned about Claire, who thinks she's the best artist in all of New York City, but she actually sucks pretty bad. Clarke doesn't really like her. She learned about Diego, who will refuse to participate on an assignment if he doesn't like it. Clarke said he was the most stubborn person she's ever met, but she's found herself catering the projects to his needs. He's so good, he just refuses to do anything he doesn't want to do.

Lexa stared at Clarke with such admiration as they went through the pile of paintings. She could feel herself actively falling for the blonde sitting in front of her just by listening to the woman talk about things she loved. Kids and art. Lexa could only imagine the way Clarke would talk about her own children years down the road. She found herself hoping to still be around when Clarke began talking about her children…maybe even their children. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Clarke's phone began ringing and vibrating loudly on the coffee table. The blonde reached forward and grabbed it.

"Oh, it's Octavia! I'll be right back." Lexa nodded up at the blonde as she answered the phone and walked out of the room.

Lexa found herself standing and walking back to the picture of Clarke and her father that was hung up on the wall. The two of them were wearing onesies, Clarke wearing Wonder Woman and her father wearing Superman. They had their hands on their hips striking the all too familiar superhero pose. Clarke had broken out into laughter and Lexa could tell by the smirk on his face that her father was about to start laughing as well. She could only imagine how much fun the two of them must have had that night. And every other night as well, for that matter. Lexa could feel herself getting upset at the thought and she quickly steeled her features and reached for her jacket.

"Leaving so soon?" Clarke asked as she walked back into the living room, dropping her phone in her pocket.

"This is actually the latest I've stayed up in quite a while." Lexa looked down at her leather watch. 11:00 PM.

"You were up at 2:00 AM last Friday." Clarke raised an eyebrow at the brunette as she pulled her jacket on.

"Yes, but I'd already fallen asleep around 10:00 PM. I…have a strange sleep schedule." Lexa glanced back at the photo of Clarke and her father, then busied herself with checking her phone to see if she had any missed calls or texts. She didn't. This was her personal phone, not her business phone.

"Gotcha. Well, we should do this again some time. But maybe without all the grading." Clarke grinned and leaned against the kitchen counter. Lexa gave her a quick nod.

"I agree. Maybe…again this weekend?"

"I'll be free tomorrow after I finish these last few projects." Clarke answered and Lexa smirked.

"I'll text you." Lexa turned and made her way to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the hall.

"Perfect." Clarke walked up to the door and leaned against the frame, crossing her arms and still grinning at Lexa. "Goodnight, Ms CEO." Lexa rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and Clarke laughed.

"Goodnight, Clarke."

Lexa struggled to control her breathing. She could feel muscles all over her body tensing and relaxing then tensing again. She groaned loudly. Planks were one workout technique that she absolutely hated, but she did them anyway. She had decided years ago to work on calisthenics instead of lifting weights to work out, so if she wanted a strong core then planks were a necessity. She looked at her wrist and saw that she had 30 more seconds before she could drop. Another loud groan was followed by her doorbell ringing. She immediately dropped from the plank and glanced up at the screen on the wall to see who was at her door. The camera revealed a mass of blonde hair and a smile spread across Lexa's face. She stood and grabbed a towel, wiping sweat from her face, then pulled it around her neck and made her way to the door. She opened it and watched with an amused grin as Clarke's blue eyes dilated as she took in what Lexa was wearing, black leggings and a black sports bra.

"Clarke." Lexa raised an eyebrow as Clarke's attention slowly crept back up her body and landed on her face.

"Hi. Are you…busy?" Clarke was practically salivating.

"I was just finishing my work out, you have good timing." Lexa answered and moved away from the door, ushering Clarke inside and closing the door behind her. "Did you need something, Clarke?"

"Actually, yes." Clarke shook her head and tried to remember why she had come up to Lexa's apartment. "I came to ask a favor." Lexa gritted her teeth and walked past Clarke, gripping each end of the towel that was draped around her neck. If she had a dollar for every time someone asked a favor of her, she would have at least twice as much money as she already had.

"What would you have me do?" Lexa asked, turning her attention back to the blonde. She was dreading Clarke's response. Lexa had been so certain that Clarke hadn't initiated their friendship just because Lexa had money. But here she was, proving Lexa wrong.

"A few coworkers invited me out to celebrate the beginning of spring break tonight, and I was wondering if you'd come with me?" Lexa released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She was visibly relieved that Clarke wasn't just coming to her for money. "I know it's short notice, but –"

"Clarke." Lexa attempted to cut her off, but she continued.

"We did kind of make plans to hang out this weekend anyway…"

"Clarke."

"And I just can't handle these guys on my own for more than, like, fifteen minutes without wanting to kill someone…"

"Clarke." Lexa used her boardroom voice to finally get the attention of the nervous blonde in front of her.

"Sorry." Clarke responded sheepishly and Lexa couldn't help but grin down at her.

"I would love to join you." Clarke's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Of course. I just need to shower first." Lexa gestured down at her sweaty body and watched as Clarke looked down too and gulped. The brunette smirked to herself, impressed with the effect she was having on the object of her affection.

"Right. Okay! I mean…um, okay. Cool." The blonde winced as she stumbled over her words, just as Lexa had done so many times before. "Wanna meet me down at my place when you're ready?" Lexa gave her a quick nod.

"Yes. I will need about 45 minutes."

"Perfect. I'll see you in a bit then." Clarke turned and left Lexa's apartment before the brunette could even bid her farewell.

Lexa quickly showered and made her way into her closet, dropping her towel after she had adequately dried herself off. She wracked her brain, trying to remember if Clarke had mentioned where they might be going. She had no idea what to wear. Her eyes scanned the rows of clothes that were hung up around the room and she decided quickly to dress casually, but not too casual. She grabbed a pair of jeans that she knew made her ass and legs look incredibly toned. She paired them with a mint green button up, leaving the top few buttons undone and rolling her sleeves halfway up her forearms. She quickly tucked the shirt in and wove an expensive black belt through the loops then turned to her shoe rack. This was always the most difficult part of choosing an outfit. She was always told that shoes can make our break an outfit. She chose a black pair of boots and quickly laced them up then grabbed her leather jacket and looked at herself in the mirror. This will have to do.

Lexa stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets to keep them from shaking after she knocked on Clarke's door. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this nervous, and this wasn't even a date. Or was it? The brunette practically jumped out of her skin when the door swung open and snapped her from her thoughts.

"Clarke." She said quickly and took in Clarke's appearance. She was wearing a tight pair of jeans, a comfy looking sweater, and her hair fell in perfect waves around her face.

"Hi. You look nice." Lexa looked up to meet Clarke's eyes and they shown with admiration. The brunette looked down at her outfit and shrugged a bit.

"Thank you. I wasn't sure how casual to dress…" Clarke shook her head quickly, and Lexa stopped talking.

"This is perfect."

"Thank you, again. You look astonishing." Lexa complimented the beautiful woman in front of her and watched as her pale face turned a light shade of red.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Ms CEO." Clarke winked at her and leaned back to turn the apartment lights off then closed the door and locked it. "You ready to go?" Lexa nodded as the two of them made their way to the elevator.

"Where is it that we're going? I'll need to tell Gustus." Lexa looked down at her watch absentmindedly.

"Did you want him to drive us?" Clarke asked and Lexa turned her attention to the blonde next to her. "It's probably more convenient to just take the subway."

"The subway?" Lexa looked back down at her watch then stuffed her shaking hands in her pockets again.

"Yeah, unless you don't want to?" Clarke replied and Lexa shook her head.

"No, that's fine. You will just have to help me convince Gustus." Lexa smirked down at Clarke and a mischievous grin spread across the younger girl's lips. She rubbed her hands together as if she had just devised an evil plan.

"Oh, I can do that." Lexa grinned at her as the elevator doors opened and Clarke made her way over to the burly man.

Lexa couldn't stop her leg from shaking once they sat down on the subway. She tried to keep her hands clasped together in her lap, but ended up absentmindedly playing with the class ring on her right ring finger as she looked around and surveyed her surroundings. Clarke noticed her nervousness.

"You okay?" The blonde asked, her voice was already reassuring for Lexa.

"Yes, sorry. I haven't been on the subway since I was a student so it feels strange to me." Lexa turned her attention to the younger girl sitting next to her. She gave her a small smile. "I think change affects me more than I'd like to admit." Clarke returned her smile.

"So you've lived in New York this whole time, but you haven't been on the subway in years? How?" Clarke tried to distract Lexa by engaging her in small talk.

"I got a motorcycle five years ago. I took it everywhere while I finished my MBA. Then, once I graduated, the company forced me to hire Gustus." Lexa smiled thinking back on how her life had changed since she hired Gustus as her bodyguard and chauffeur. "Though, I think that was the smartest decision I've ever made."

"Do you still have the motorcycle?" Lexa gave a small nod.

"I do."

"Oh yeah, you had a helmet with you last weekend." Clarke remembered the night she came home drunk and Lexa had taken care of her.

"I did."

"How often do you ride?" Clarke tried to push down the warmth rising in her chest at the thought of Lexa taking care of her, someone she honestly barely even knew.

"Not very." Lexa answered. "Only on certain nights when I can't sleep. Though, that seems to be happening more and more often." Lexa turned her attention back to her hands where she continued spinning the class ring. It was too big for her, it had been her father's, but she still wore it almost every day. Same as the leather jacket.

"Why aren't you able to sleep?" Clarke asked then slapped a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. Lexa let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry…that's personal. And I'm asking so many questions." Clarke groaned and leaned back in the seat. "I'm sorry. I promise I'm just trying to get to know you better, and that's where the conversation led. Let's talk about something different." Lexa shook her head and placed her hands back in her jacket pockets.

"It's alright, Clarke. If I was offended, I would tell you." Lexa stated easily and she heard Clarke release a breath.

"Promise?" The blonde asked.

"I promise." Clarke smiled at the brunette. "To answer your question, I can't sleep because I have bad dreams. Or, I guess they're more like memories." Lexa let the ring fall off her finger in the pocket of her jacket and she began fiddling with it.

"About what? If you don't mind me asking…" Clarke felt like she was pushing her luck by asking Lexa so many personal questions, but Lexa promised she would tell her if she wanted her to stop.

"My childhood, mostly." Lexa answered and Clarke expected that to be the only answer she received, but she continued. "My father left at a young age, my mother became an alcoholic. There was a lot I had to deal with far before I was ready." Lexa ran a hand through her waves and caught the eye of a little boy sitting across from her. Her gave her a big, toothless grin and she returned the gesture with a grin just as big.

"Wow, I'm so sorry, Lex." Clarke shook her head, she couldn't believe Lexa had been so much and yet now she was so successful.

"There's no need to apologize, Clarke." Lexa finally tore her gaze from the little boy and turned her attention back to the blonde. "It made me stronger and I'm in more of a position now to help other kids who might be going through the same things I went through." Clarke looked up at her incredulously.

"You're amazing." Lexa let out a little chuckle and shook her head.

"I have to disagree. But, I'm glad you see me that way, Clarke." They exchanged smiles.

"Do you still keep in touch with your parents?" Clarke asked, silently wishing she still had the chance to keep in touch with her father.

"My father actually passed away five years ago, right before I finished my undergrad." Lexa pulled her hands out of her pocket and slipped the ring back onto her finger. "My mother blamed me for his death, just as she had blamed me for his leaving." Lexa felt her voice getting shaky and tried to steady herself. "We lost touch. Though I've bought her a house and I have people keeping an eye on her just in case she ever needs help paying bills or anything like that. She hasn't refused my help yet, which I think is a good sign." Clarke nodded in agreement.

"I think that's a good sign, too."

"Yes."

"Hey, Lex?" Clarke pulled Lexa's attention from her hands again. "If you're ever having trouble sleeping and it's raining or you just don't feel like going out on your motorcycle, you can totally come over anytime. My door is always open."

"That's dangerous, Clarke. You should keep your door shut and locked at all times." Lexa smirked at the younger girl to make sure she knew that she was joking. Clarke erupted into a fit of giggles and shoved Lexa's shoulder playfully.

"Shut up. I'm trying to be nice here." Lexa rubbed her shoulder and feigned hurt, but then broke out into another grin.

"I appreciate your offer, Clarke, but I would never purposefully wake you up in the middle of the night just because I can't sleep." Clarke thought for a second before she replied.

"How about you text me first, then? If I'm awake, you can come over. If I'm asleep, I won't respond because I'm a heavy sleeper and a text would never wake me up." Lexa considered the offer.

"I suppose I can do that." She nodded.

"Great. But tonight…" Clarke leaned in closer to the brunette and placed a gentle hand on her knee. "I'm going to keep all of that far from your mind." Lexa swallowed hard and kept her eyes fixed on the blue ones that were oh so very close to her now.

"How…um, how are you going to do that?" She stammered.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Clarke winked at the brunette then quickly stood. "Come on, this is our stop."

Clarke practically dragged Lexa to the small bar that was about two blocks from the subway station. She warned the taller woman beforehand that her friends from work were a little…out there. Jasper was the chemistry teacher, Monty was the calculus teacher, and Miller was the US history teacher. Lexa tried her best to keep all the names and subjects straight in her head as Clarke pulled her inside and finally came to a stop in front of three men.

"Well, hello boys." Clarke grinned and high-fived all of them. "Guys, this is my friend Lexa, Lex this is Jasper, Monty, and Miller." Clarke pointed to each boy respectively and Lexa nodded her acknowledgement. She tried to force a smile, but that didn't happen until she looked over and saw how happy Clarke seemed.

"Are you ladies ready to get this party started?!" One of them, Jasper maybe, practically yelled as he pumped his fists in the air. Clarke and the other boys broke into laughter and shouts of "hell yeah!" Lexa leaned down closer to Clarke's ear.

"I'm going to get a drink. What would you like?" Lexa had placed her hand just above the small of Clarke's back, and she could feel a shiver move through the blonde's body.

"Just a screwdriver. Thank you." Clarke grinned up at her and she nodded and made her way over to the bar. She quickly got the attention of the bartender.

"I need a screwdriver and a whiskey neat." The bartender nodded and quickly made the drinks, handing them over to Lexa much faster than she expected. "Oh! And, do you see those three men over there, next to the blonde?" The bartender looked across the bar and her eyes landed on the group of friends.

"What about them?"

"All of their drinks will be on me tonight." Lexa handed over one of her credit cards and the bartender nodded. The brunette then turned and made her way back over to the group, handing Clarke her drink and trying to settle into the conversation. A few minutes later, Clarke pulled her aside with an excited look on her face. Lexa quickly realized that she had zoned out and had no idea what the woman in front of her was so excited about.

"Are you any good?" Clarke asked and Lexa raised an eyebrow, silently questioning what she was talking about. "At pool. Do you want to play?" Clarke nodded at the pool table behind her and a wide grin broke out on Lexa's face.

"I would love to play, and yes, I am pretty good." She grinned even wider and led Clarke over to the pool table. The brunette immediately made her way to the rack on the wall and carefully chose her pool cue. She turned back to blonde. "Would you like to rack them or break them?"

"I'll rack them. I'm horrible at breaking…and basically everything else that has to do with pool." Lexa laughed and watched as Clarke began racking the balls and placing them inside the triangle. "Am I even doing this right?" The blonde looked up at Lexa. The older woman looked back at her with an amused expression.

"Not exactly. Would you like me to show you?" Clarke quickly nodded and Lexa made her way over to her.

Clarke watched as Lexa showed her how to rack the balls properly. She watched as Lexa showed her the best way to break. She watched as Lexa showed her how to hold the cue correctly. She watched as Lexa showed her the easiest way to line up corner shots. She watched as Lexa taught her what a stop shot was, and a draw shot, a follow shot, and a cut shot. She watched the whole time Lexa ran the table, quickly shaking her head every time Lexa offered her the next shot. She watched and she watched, but did she pay any attention at all?

Absolutely not.

She couldn't focus on anything after Lexa pulled her jacket off and pushed her sleeves farther up her arms. She couldn't take her eyes off Lexa's back and the way her shirt strained against it every time she bent over and took a shot. She couldn't stop ogling Lexa's ass, it looked incredible in that pair of jeans. She could feel her mouth watering at the sight of the woman in front of her. She tried as hard as she could to listen to what Lexa was saying so she would know when to nod or when to shake her head. But it was so hard…she was practically drooling. She quickly snapped out of her daze as Lexa sunk the last shot and turned her attention back to the blonde.

"Do you want to try it now?" The brunette asked and Clarke just shook her head.

"I'm more than happy just watching you, trust me." Clarke blushed at her own response. She saw Monty out of the corner of her eye, he was sitting at a booth with Jasper and Miller waving wildly for the two of them to join the rest of the group. Clarke turned back to Lexa and nodded towards her three friends. "Wanna go sit for a minute?"

"Sure, Clarke." Lexa placed her cue stick back on the rack and followed Clarke to the booth. Clarke squeezed in next to Miller and Lexa sat down next to her.

Lexa had never been particularly good at making friends. People didn't dislike her, she just wasn't sure how to hold a conversation with someone if it wasn't about business, calisthenics, suits, motorcycles, or jazz music. Clarke was the one exception. Lexa found herself being able to talk to Clarke about anything and everything. It was so easy with the blonde. Lexa glanced over at the younger girl sitting next to her. She was deep in a conversation about a TV show that Lexa had never seen. She was talking animatedly with a huge grin on her face. Lexa felt her stomach get caught in her throat when the younger woman burst into a fit of giggles. The brunette felt herself resting a gentle hand on Clarke's knee, the butterflies in her stomach exploding into fireworks when Clarke turned and grinned up at her, placing her own hand over Lexa's.

They stayed like that for a while, hand over hand, Clarke being the life of the party and Lexa just watching her in awe. It wasn't until Clarke caught Lexa yawning twice within sixty seconds that she leaned over to the boys and told them they were leaving. Lexa initially tried to protest, not wanting to be the reason Clarke left before she was ready, but Clarke was having none of it. She shoved Lexa towards the bar to pay her tab and she grabbed Lexa's coat off the back of the booth, waiting on her to return. Once she did, Clarke saw over her shoulder that the bartender was tearing up at the sight of the bill that Lexa handed back to her. The brunette pulled on her jacket and the two girls left the bar with Clarke wrapping herself around Lexa's right arm.

"So did you leave that girl enough money to take a vacation to Hawaii, or what?" Clarke asked, still curious about why the bartender had begun crying. Lexa let out a small chuckle and it warmed Clarke's heart. She didn't get to hear Lexa laugh often, but when she did, it was like a chorus of angels had suddenly began singing. She would give up all of her money just to be able to hear the older woman laugh every day for the rest of her life.

"Don't be ridiculous, Clarke. I left only enough to help her with her next rent payment." Clarke felt Lexa shrugged and she looked up at the brunette. She was suddenly amazed by the woman next to her.

"You're always helping people." Clarke began and felt herself latching onto Lexa's arm just a little bit tighter. "How are you so beautiful, and kind, and altruistic, and athletic, and funny all at the same time?" Clarke shook her head, not quite able to grasp the fact that the woman she was touching was real.

"I'm not quite sure how to answer that question, Clarke." Lexa replied and looked down when she felt Clarke shiver against her. This time, however, was because of the bite in the air and not because of Lexa's touch. "Here, take my jacket." Lexa quickly shrugged the leather jacket off her shoulders and offered it to Clarke who took it easily.

"See what I mean?" Lexa blushed realizing she had just done exactly what Clarke accused her of. The blonde pulled the jacket up around her shoulders and latched herself back onto Lexa's arm as they continued walking. "Thank you."

"It suits you." Lexa answered simply, and Clarke let out a quiet laugh.

"I bet I could wear and article of your clothing and you would think it suits me." Lexa raised an eyebrow at the blonde's response, but couldn't deny it.

"I bet you are right."

"You're a really great person, Lex." Clarke let out a deep sigh and Lexa absentmindedly shoved her hands in her pants pockets.

"You are as well, Clarke." Lexa felt the blonde shaking her head.

"No, not like you." Lexa stopped walking and turned to face the younger woman.

"Not like me." Lexa reached down and gently held Clarke's hand in her own. "You are a teacher. You are helping mold the minds of the next generation. Showing them that life isn't all about math or science. It's about doing what makes you happy. Art makes you happy, Clarke, and now you're using your happiness to help children. I think that's beautiful." Clarke looked up at the brunette with all the admiration in the world.

"I want to kiss you." The blonde responded and Lexa almost choked on the breath she was taking.

"You…" Lexa started but couldn't stop herself from stuttering. "I didn't say that with hopes that you would kiss me for it, Clarke." Lexa explained and felt Clarke's grip on her hand get a little tighter.

"Can I kiss you anyway?"

"Yes."

The kiss was more than what either girl expected. Clarke placed her hands on either side of Lexa's face, pulling her in gently. Lexa had her hands placed on Clarke's hips, making sure she kept a respectful distance between them even though she wanted no space between them at all. Their lips molded together better than two perfectly fitting puzzle pieces. It wasn't a short kiss, but it wasn't a very long kiss either. Both girls pulled away right at the same time, breathing much heavier than they had been half a minute before. Lexa rested her forehead against Clarke's and searched blue eyes for any sign of regret or hesitation. There was none.

"Let's get home." Lexa said quietly and the blonde just nodded.

The two girls finally came to a stop in front of Clarke's door. They stood there, grinning at each other and holding hands for probably far too long. Lexa finally had to work up the nerve to tell the blonde goodnight because she wasn't sure she could keep her eyes open for more than five more minutes.

"I had fun tonight, Clarke." Lexa said, smiling down at the younger girl and rubbing her thumb gently across the back of her hand.

"I did too. I'm glad you came with me, Lex." The blonde bit her bottom lip and Lexa had to physically restrain herself from leaning in and kissing the girl twice as hard as she had earlier. "Do you have plans tomorrow?"

"I do, sadly. I have a luncheon in the afternoon and a benefit in Boston tomorrow night." Lexa's face fell at the thought of not being able to see the blonde the next day. "I'll see you Monday, though?" Clarke started to nod then immediately stopped.

"Fuck." She cursed, pulling her phone out to look at the locked screen. "I'm leaving tomorrow. It's spring break so I'm going back to DC to visit my family and friends for the week." Clarke looked crestfallen.

"For the whole week?"

"Yeah, I'll be back late next Sunday." Clarke answered. The two girls still hadn't dropped the others hand.

"That's…wonderful, Clarke." Lexa said after taking a moment to assess the situation. "I'm excited for you. I know it's been quite some time since you've been able to travel back to Washington. I'm certain you'll have a great time." She offered a gentle smile to the smaller girl and it was immediately returned.

"I really hope so. Will you text me while I'm gone?" Clarke asked and Lexa let out a chuckle.

"As much as I possibly can, Clarke." Clarke's grin spread wider.

"Good."

"Clarke, I am about to fall asleep standing up, so I really must be going." Clarke nodded quickly, knowing that this was far later than Lexa usually stayed up. "May I kiss you again before I leave?" Lexa asked, squeezing Clarke's hand a bit.

"Oh god, yes please." Clarke replied and both girls laughed as they leaned in to join their lips again. It was slower than their first kiss, and over much sooner. Lexa pulled back and rubbed the pad of her thumb over Clarke's bottom lip. The blonde shivered beneath her touch. "Goodnight, Lex."

"Goodnight, Clarke." And with that, Lexa turned and made her way back up to her apartment.