Note: You guys! I'm so sorry this update is so late. I had it done in August, but I wasn't happy with it. Regardless, I sent it to my beta reader, and she commented on all the parts I didn't like, which prompted a rewrite of the whole second half of the chapter, as well as some touch ups here and there. It was a daunting task, and I'll admit to feeling frustrated with it and put it off for quite awhile. I finally did it, and the result ended up being a +10,000 word behemoth. I sent it back to my beta in mid-September, but she was sick for awhile and life sort of took off for both of us. But, it's done now, and here it is. I managed to get it down to under 10,000 words (barely), but hopefully, this more than double length chapter will make up for the delay. I have been writing a lot in the last few days, so as long as my beta has time, the wait for the next update shouldn't be nearly as long. However, I will state now that because school has started again, and I have a student teacher with me this fall, I will have less time than normal to write, so please don't expect weekly updates like before this delay.
I need to thank my beta Sally for finding the time to edit this monster not once, but twice. Also a shout out to my wife that helped me rewrite a paragraph to make it smoother and make more sense. Sadly, I eventually ended up taking it all out anyway, but I still appreciate the feedback and the help.
I hope you all enjoy this one. Thanks for your patience!
Morning came very early for Raven, who stretched languidly and then momentarily froze when she registered the warmth pressed against her side and the arm that was thrown lazily across her waist. A slow smile spread across her face as she brought her arms down and wrapped them around the blonde next to her. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of Anya's head and then started to shift herself away to vacate the bed. Anya tightened her grip on Raven's waist in protest before she groaned.
"Uggghhh, what time is it?" Anya sleepily husked out.
Raven lightly laughed as she moved to extract herself again, lifting Anya's arm from around her waist and sitting up at the edge of the bed. "Six," Raven whispered. "I have to go to hockey practice. Go back to sleep. I should be back by ten"
"Shit!" Anya exclaimed, suddenly sitting upright in bed, the sheet sliding down her chest to pool around her waist.
Raven eyed her appreciatively. "What?"
"I didn't call or text Lexa at all last night," Anya lamented, looking around frantically for her phone.
"Uh-oh," Raven smirked. "Will she send out a search party?"
"Where's my phone?" Anya asked, completely ignoring the other girl.
"Probably wherever your pants are," Raven said with a wicked grin.
Anya rolled her eyes before getting up and walking naked out of the room, brushing past Raven purposefully on her way.
Raven gulped and then quickly pulled on her sports bra and tights and started packing up her hockey gear. When she finished, she sauntered out into the living room to find a fully dressed Anya, typing away on her phone.
"If we leave now, I could drop you off before I head to practice," Raven commented when Anya looked up at her.
"Actually," Anya replied. "I thought I'd come watch the practice if that's okay, and maybe you could drop me off after that?"
Raven grinned at her. "Got a thing for women in uniform, General?"
Anya rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the grin tugging at her lips. "Hardly, but I'm not going to be here when you play The Grounders, and I want to see what all the fuss is about The Arkers."
"Well, who am I to deny you that privilege?" Raven said "Plus, as a bonus, I now have time for a quick breakfast before practice. Can I make you a smoothie?"
Anya nodded, and Raven went about pulling out fruit, yogurt, and a blender as Anya went to freshen up. Raven made a strawberry/mango smoothie with a shot of protein powder and put them in to-go cups, before taking a quick turn in the bathroom. Upon exiting, she grabbed her gear and smoothie and gave Anya a grateful nod and a quick kiss on the cheek as she grabbed Raven's sticks for her and they headed out to the arena.
It was still dark when Clarke left for practice, a travel mug of her favourite tea in hand and the sun still an hour or so away from breaking over the horizon. The drive to the rink was quiet, relaxing and free of traffic as it was too early for most to be on their way anywhere. Clarke felt a shiver of anticipation race through her belly at the thought of being on the ice again as she drove through the quiet residential area and into the city park that housed the ice arena.
She parked her car and walked into the arena, her gear bag slung casually over her shoulder and her sticks clasped lightly in her left hand. She opened the door to the change room and was surprised to see that she was the first to arrive. She found a spot and started pulling out her limited gear. She had just finished lacing her first skate when Octavia strolled in, a jaw-cracking yawn splitting her face.
Clarke smiled at her friend and nodded to the space beside her on the bench. "Hi, O."
"Hey, Clarkey," Octavia replied, stifling another yawn.
Octavia began pulling out her gear and within minutes, more of their team members started trickling into the change room in varying states of alertness.
By the time Raven strolled in, looking ridiculously awake, Clarke was finished with her skates and had wiped down the visor on the top portion of the cage on her helmet.
Clarke glanced up at her friend as she squeezed in beside her and Octavia with her brows raised. "You're alive!"
Octavia snorted, and looked over at her two best friends in amusement as Raven said, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Clarke."
Clarke scoffed. "You've been incommunicado since we said goodbye at the Dropship. What happened? Did you fall into a snowbank, or into a hole?"
"Or into Anya's…" Octavia started but cut off her sentence as she flinched back to avoid the slap that Raven had aimed at her.
Clarke cackled as she watched the flush creep up Raven's neck. "Oh my God, Rae! You did!"
"I hate you both. You know that, right? Now shut up and get dressed," Raven sulkily replied.
Both Clarke and Octavia laughed again, passing a knowing look between them. They would get it out of her later.
A few of the girls on the team had been eyeing Clarke as she got dressed. One such teammate decided to ask the question that many of them were wondering.
"Umm, Clarke?" Kim said. "Why aren't you fully dressed?"
Clarke glanced up at the first year player in surprise and then quickly glanced at Octavia and Raven who both cringed and then over to Monroe and Harper who both quickly shook their heads and dropped their eyes. Fox also looked uncomfortable, but the rest of the team regarded Clarke curiously, and it suddenly occurred to Clarke that not everyone on the team was aware of her injury or the circumstances around it. There were a few, of course, those who traveled in the same circle of friends and had been at the party. However, most of the team had no idea.
"Oh, uh, I had a bit of a fall over the break and got a concussion." Clarke began, taking in the looks of shock and concern around the room. "That was three weeks ago, though, so I'm allowed to come out and skate around, but not much else for a bit yet."
"Will you be back for the game next week?" Bryn, another first-year player, asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I hope so," Clarke said with a sigh. "It depends on how today and the rest of the week goes."
The other girls nodded, some of them whispering amongst themselves as they finished getting dressed. Clarke decided she should just go, so she looked at her friends. "See you out there."
Clarke stepped out onto the pristine sheet and took a deep breath, her nose crinkling against the cold. She loved the feel, the smell of the rink; so clean and new, with a slight metallic tang from the refrigeration units. And she especially enjoyed being the first on a freshly scraped sheet of ice. She looked over at the bench to see Marcus Kane bending over to pull out a whiteboard and his gloves.
"Hey, Coach!" Clarke yelled as she skated towards the bench.
Kane straightened and looked at Clarke in surprise. "Clarke! I didn't expect to see you here. I thought for sure Abby would have you under lock and key."
"I had to convince her," Clarke said wryly, then continued as she pointed down at her lack of gear. "And I'm not allowed to do too much."
Kane nodded and stepped onto the ice. "Well, I'll leave it up to you to decide what and how much to do, Clarke. Please be careful, I don't want you to have any setbacks," he said looking at her seriously.
Clarke saluted and then grinned at him cheekily before she started a slow lap around the ice as the rest of her team began to sprinkle out to start their warm-up. Clarke joined them in a team stretch and a few laps, making sure not to get her heart rate up too far. She then worked out the goalies with the team, each player taking their turn firing shots at the netminders, before moving to stand with Kane as he explained the next drill.
Once explanations were through, Clarke nodded at Charlotte, the backup goalie and pointed to the other end. Charlotte brightened considerably, nodding back eagerly and headed towards the other end of the ice sheet. As she skated toward the other end, Clarke happened to look into the stands and saw Anya sitting near the top, nursing a coffee in her hands, watching the practice unfold below her.
Clarke shot a look at Raven, managing to catch her eye before the brunette shrugged and waggled her eyebrows before she turned away. Clarke smiled to herself and shook her head, before following Charlotte to the other end.
Backup goalies never got the workout that the starters did, generally only getting the occasional turn at whatever end the drills were occurring, and if they were really lucky, if the team had time for a scrimmage, so Clarke was happy to help Charlotte get a workout in as well. They set up and discussed what areas Charlotte would like to work on. Clarke warmed her up carefully, making her move with some hard shots and some that were off-speed before focusing in on certain areas.
Clarke knew that there are five main areas in the net a player could score, the first two being high and low glove side respectively. Three and four, high and low stick side, and the fifth between the goalies legs, which hockey players refer to as the five-hole. She started by firing shot after shot at Charlotte's glove side, making her move it up and down, quickly flicking the caught pucks out of her glove to ready herself for the next bullet Clarke fired her way.
She then moved to her blocker/stick side, making sure to keep the pucks in the air to make Charlotte use her blocker to make the save. They discussed the best angles to push the pucks away, with Clarke then trying to jump on the rebounds so that Charlotte could see the potential consequences of not trying to control the direction of the rebounding puck.
From there they moved to pucks that Clarke shot low and along the ice. She made the goaltender move from side to side; made her stretch to stop pucks from squeezing in between her skates and the posts, or have to direct them away with the blade of her stick, or slam her pads shut to stop the puck from popping through the 'five-hole'. Clarke also was quick to let a second puck occasionally fly after Charlotte's original save, forcing her to either get up very quickly or to stack her pads to keep the second puck out of the back of the net.
Clarke was impressed with Charlotte, not having spent quite so much time with the goalie before. She was usually working with Harper, Charlotte only getting the occasional turn during practice. Kane had looked over a few times to see what was happening at the other end and decided to skate down while the rest of the team were working on a man-advantage drill.
Clarke saw him coming and stopped shooting, Charlotte took the moment to push back her helmet and drink greedily from her water bottle. Kane noticed the flush of his goaltender's cheeks and the sweat pouring down her face in approval.
"How's it going down here, ladies?" Kane asked.
"Pretty good," Clarke replied. "I broke a stick, though. I'm glad I didn't bring my good one."
"Maybe if you didn't shoot so hard, you wouldn't break your stick," Charlotte panted. Clarke just grinned.
Kane smiled and turned to the goalie. "Feel like taking a turn at the other end, Charlotte?"
"Yes, Coach!" the young woman said, surprised. She grabbed her water bottle and started skating towards the other end.
"Send Harper down here please," Kane yelled after her.
Charlotte spun in a slow 360, saluting Kane as she faced him and then proceeded on her way. It always amazed Clarke how agile the goalies were in all their gear. She watched Charlotte speak to Harper and point down their way before she took her place in net.
Clarke looked at Kane, eyebrows raised in question.
Kane just shrugged. "I noticed what you were doing with Charlotte, and I think Harper could use that kind of practice as well. They don't usually get that type of time to work on positioning, shot after shot. I also noticed how well she was doing and wanted to reward her with some simulated game play time."
Clarke nodded and then faced Harper as she skated closer with a look of confusion on her face.
"Ready to sweat, Harp?" Clarke asked with a grin.
"What?" Harper asked, even more confused.
"I'll leave you to it, ladies," Kane said and skated away.
Clarke explained to Harper what they would be doing, comprehension dawning on the goaltender's face, along with excitement.
Clarke worked Harper in a similar manner to what she had done with Charlotte, noting that Harper was a bit smoother in her motions and quicker to get up and get back into position. There was a reason she was the starting goalie, after all.
The rest of the practice went by in a blur, and it wasn't long before the team found themselves back in the change room.
Octavia and Clarke teased Raven mercilessly about the mere fact that Anya being at practice meant that she most likely never had gone back to Lexa's the day before. Raven shot mock glares at them both, then shrugged nonchalantly and gestured up and down her body. "Have you seen me? I can't help it if Anya wants all of this. It's a curse, really." At that Raven gathered up her bag and headed out the door. "See you two losers later."
Clarke and Octavia shared an amused glance before they too departed for the day.
"How are you feeling?" Octavia asked on the way out.
"Good. I took it pretty easy; I did get my heart rate up a bit with the pace I was shooting, but so far no ill effects. I'm going to call it a success, and make sure my mom feels that way too." Clarke said happily.
"That's great," Octavia said. "Maybe more participation in Thursday's practice?"
"Fingers crossed, O," Clarke replied, crossing her fingers in front of her.
Octavia laughed and said her goodbye to Clarke as both women unlocked their respective cars and headed home.
Raven collected Anya in the lobby and hustled her out of the arena.
"What's the rush?" Anya asked. "Trying to get rid of me?"
"What?! No!" Raven sputtered, eyes wide. "I just don't want Clarke and O to come out here and give us the third degree."
Anya smirked at the brunette, grabbed her sticks from her and leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Raven's cheek.
Raven smirked back at her., "You'd make an excellent hockey wife; you know that?"
Anya rolled her eyes, a small grin on her face before replying, "Come on grease monkey. Take me home."
They rode back to Lexa's in companionable silence. Raven sneaking glances at Anya every so often, before she finally cleared her throat and asked, "So. When do you head back to Seattle?"
Anya turned her head to look at Raven. "Saturday morning. I'm going to go to Lexa's hockey game on Friday night, and then I head out fairly early the next day."
Raven nodded as if to herself. "So, three full days. Four if you count today." She sighed and glanced at Anya quickly before looking back to the road. "I still need to take you on a date."
Anya laughed. "Yes, you do. Also, would you come and watch the game with me on Friday? If you don't have one of your own, I mean."
"Hmmm," Raven said nodding. "We don't play until next week. I imagine we could get quite the contingent to watch actually. I'm pretty sure Clarke would come, and if you get Lincoln to go, Octavia would be there in a heartbeat," Raven said nodding. "As for our date, how does tomorrow night sound? I have practice again on Thursday morning."
"Are you suggesting that I come with you to practice again?" Anya asked with a quirked brow.
"Don't tell me you didn't think about it, Cheekbones," Raven said with a knowing grin. "Last night was, well, let's just say I haven't felt like that in a very long time."
Anya looked at the brunette with soft eyes before quietly responding, "Me neither." She smiled at Raven and nodded. "Tomorrow night then, but maybe we could hang out tonight as well? Lexa has practice at 7, and I feel like I should go and watch since I essentially bailed on her last night with no warning."
Raven's smile spread from ear to ear as she nodded. "I would love to hang out with you. Would you like some company while you sit through Lexa's practice?"
"That would be great," Anya replied with a smile.
A few minutes later, Raven had pulled into Lexa's driveway and hopped out and sprinted around to open Anya's door for her. Anya rolled her eyes at her but accepted the brunette's hand as she guided her from the truck, and didn't let go as they walked up to the door.
Once at the door, they stood and stared at each other for a moment, before Raven leaned in to capture Anya's lips with her own. Anya melted into the contact, bringing her arms around the brunette's shoulders, and Raven's hands rested lightly on Anya's waist. Just as Raven was about to reposition to deepen the kiss, the front door flew open, and the two women broke apart in surprise.
Lexa stood in the open door, with her jaw hanging open as she looked at Raven and her best friend. She recovered quickly, though, and a knowing look crossed her face as she leaned against the door jam, folding her arms across her chest.
"I'm guessing we'll be seeing quite a bit more of each other in the next three days," Lexa said to Raven with a smirk.
Raven briefly eyed Lexa back before returning her gaze to Anya. "Yes, I suppose you will." With that, she leaned in and placed another quick kiss on Anya's lips, nodded to Lexa and then marched back to her truck.
Anya and Lexa moved inside the house, Lexa side-eyeing her friend the whole time. When they finally made it inside and closed the door, Lexa broke the silence, asking softly. "What are you doing, An?"
Anya looked at her best friend and sighed. "I don't know. Right now I don't care. I like her, Lexa."
Lexa wrapped her up in a hug and whispered, "I can tell. I'm happy for you Anya, I really am. But what happens in three days when you go home?"
Anya pulled away and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm not worrying about that right now. Future Anya can deal with that. I'm just going to go with it for now and not waste the opportunity I have." She looked at Lexa again and looked like she was about to say something, but whatever it was she sighed and instead said, "She's going to come to practice with me tonight to keep me company while I watch your sorry ass. She also asked to take me on a date tomorrow."
Anya looked slightly uncomfortable, and shifted on her feet. She looked away from Lexa and then back at her taking a deep breath. "I know I came out to spend time with you, Lex, and to reconnect. So if you'd rather I stay and hang out with you, I will…I don't have to go out with Raven."
Lexa was silent for a moment, thinking about what Anya had said before shaking her head. "You go ahead, An. You've been here for almost three weeks, and we've spent most of that time together. I'm really happy that you have found someone you are interested in, and I don't want to keep you from that."
Anya stepped into Lexa's space and wrapped her up in a hug, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "You're the best; you know that right?"
Lexa laughed and pushed Anya away from her. "Besides, I'll be leaving you to your own devices for a little while this afternoon."
Anya quirked a brow and regarded Lexa carefully, noticing the slight blush starting to creep up her neck. "And why is that?"
Lexa's blush deepened, "I'm meeting Clarke at the Dropship at two."
Anya beamed at her and squeezed Lexa's arm. "I'm glad you're getting out of the house and being social, Lex. I like Clarke, she's good people. I like her friends too, and I'm telling you now that I will most likely not be coming back after my date tomorrow. I am also dragging her to your game on Friday night."
Lexa watched her best friend with amusement. "Will you be coming back with me after that?" she said with a smile.
Anya almost looked offended. "Of course, I will. It'll be my last night with you before I go. How can you even ask me that?"
Lexa put her hands up in surrender and smiled. "Just checking. But just so you know, if you wanted to spend it with Raven, I would understand."
"Thanks, kid," Anya said with sincerity. "But I want to spend that time with you."
Lexa nodded and smiled at her friend. "So, you went and watched The Arkers practice. What did you think?"
"They're good. Lots of skill from what I saw. Determined, sharp and every single one of them works so damn hard," Anya finished with respect in her voice. "I can see why they gave you a run for your money. And I can only imagine at this point what your team is like, but knowing you; I have a pretty good idea."
Lexa fidgeted back and forth for a moment before asking quietly, "Did you see Clarke?"
Anya smiled at Lexa and nodded. "Yeah. She didn't do too much. She spent the practice working with the goalies. She's got one hell of a shot," Anya added with awe. "I didn't see her miss the net once, and it looked like she could put the puck pretty much anywhere she wanted to. She was working the goalies really hard. I think her coach was impressed because he made Clarke do it all again with their starter."
Lexa felt a burst of pride blossom in her chest hearing her best friend, praise Clarke. She knew she had no claim on the blonde, nor any reason to be proud of her, but she was nonetheless.
"I wish I could see her play," Anya added absently.
"Well, you said you wanted to come back at Spring Break. We'll either see them in league play or, there's a tournament that I think both teams will be in during that time as well," Lexa said.
"Right. Well, we'll see," Anya said before covering her mouth as she yawned. "I'm going to take a bit of a nap, okay?"
"No problem," Lexa said to Anya's back as she made her way to the spare room. Anya just waved at her over her shoulder, not bothering to turn around.
Lexa wandered back over to the table and grabbed the textbook she had abandoned when she'd heard Raven's truck in the driveway, and got back to her reading.
Clarke wandered into her house and dropped her duffel on the floor in the foyer as she peeled off her outerwear. She jerked suddenly in surprise when she heard "Hey, kiddo," from the direction of the living room.
Clarke turned her head and saw her father sitting with her mother, his arm slung casually across Abby's shoulders, as he grinned at his daughter.
"Dad! Hi!" She quickly finished hanging up her coat and storing her cap and gloves and headed over to the couch to join them. She plopped herself down next to her father and then reached over to give him a tight hug.
"Sorry. Just finished practice. I'm a bit stinky," Clarke brightly said, winking at Jake.
"No worries, kid. I'm used to it. I missed you," Jake said with affection.
"I missed you too, Dad. I'm glad you're home," Clarke said. "I thought you'd be home last night before I went to bed. I'm sorry I missed you."
Jake sighed, running a hand through is short sandy hair. "They delayed my flight for a couple of hours, so I didn't get in until after midnight."
"Oh, well. I'm glad you're here now," Clarke said giving her father kiss on the cheek.
"Me too. So, how was practice? You didn't overdo it, I hope?" Jake asked, looking closely at his daughter.
Abby leaned out so she could see Clarke better, interest in the answer obvious on her face.
"No, I didn't overdo it," Clarke said, rolling her eyes. "I got a bit sweaty because I mainly shot pucks for an hour and a half straight. I broke a stick," she added in disgust.
Jake laughed and clapped Clarke on the shoulder. Abby's eyes flicked over Clarke looking for any indication that she was feeling unwell.
"How do you feel now?" Abby asked Clarke. "Headache?"
"No," Clarke replied. "I feel great. Just tired. That's more activity than I've done in three weeks, and it was freaking early!"
Her parents laughed lightly, and Abby nodded before addressing Clarke seriously. "Okay then. You can go to the gym tomorrow and do some light cardio and see how you hold up. Same rules apply, though. If that goes well, you can start integrating yourself back into practice on Thursday, but I don't want you to go too hard yet. Be cautious, I know you're antsy but better safe than sorry, Clarke."
Clarke nodded and grinned at her parents. "Thanks, Mom. How's work, Dad?"
"It's going well," Jake shared. "We finally managed to control the fuel/air ratio for the new rocket propulsion system. They'll be testing them when I go back next week. If that goes well, then we can start implementing them into the next stage rockets for the space station."
"That's great, Dad. I'm happy it's finally coming together for you," Clarke said with a smile and leaning in to give her father another kiss on his cheek. "I think I'm going to go have a quick shower and maybe a bit of a catnap."
"Thanks, kiddo. Are you sticking around today?" Clarke's father asked. "Can we all have lunch together? I'll make quesadillas," he offered.
"Oooohhhh," Clarke responded, rubbing her palms together. "How can I say no to your quesadillas? I'm meeting Lexa at two, though, so let's not make it too late, okay?"
Jake and Abby exchanged a glance as Clarke headed back to the foyer to pick up her bag and take it to the garage to empty and dry out her skates and gloves.
"Lexa?" Jake asked once Clarke had passed through the living room, brows raised in surprise. "As in Gustus' niece, the captain of The Grounders?"
Abby smiled at her husband and patted his knee. "That's the one," she said as she got up and headed into the kitchen. "Do I need to pull out some chicken for lunch or are you just going to do the four cheese version?" she threw over her shoulder.
"Four cheese," Jake replied, scrambling off the couch to follow his wife into the kitchen. "What do you mean 'that's the one?' When did this happen? What exactly is going on here?" Jake asked, confused.
Abby grinned at her husband and wrapped him up in a hug when he caught up with her in the kitchen. "Welcome home, hon." She then proceeded to fill him in in all he had missed while he'd been away.
Lunch with the parents was enjoyable, and Clarke felt much more like herself after her nap. Before she could even think about where the time had gone, she found herself sitting in cozy, two-person seat near the back corner of the Dropship. Clarke was early, her nerves only causing her to pace around her room, so she grabbed her book and headed to the coffee shop to wait for Lexa.
She had contemplated bringing a text but wanted something that didn't require a lot of thought, so her battered copy of The Martian kept her company. She took out her book and began to read while she waited, small chuckles escaping her every so often. She had read the book through at least twice before, but Clarke was always amused by the prose and enjoyed the mix of drama and humor immensely.
She read for about a half an hour before checking her phone and realizing that Lexa would be there any minute. She continued to read, but her eyes kept straying to the door, watching for the brunette's arrival. It wasn't long before Lexa strode into the bustling cafe, brushing snowflakes from her face and hair. Clarke had stopped reading and was staring with her mouth open at the beauty in front of her. It took her a moment and the realization that Lexa was looking around for her to snap out of it and quickly stand to attract Lexa's attention. Lexa saw her, and Clarke swore she saw her eyes brighten before she started making her way to the secluded corner of the shop.
Clarke was just finishing putting her book back into her bag when Lexa finally made her way over. Clarke stood and looked at Lexa for a moment, before reaching out and giving her a quick hug. It was so fast that Lexa didn't even have time to react to it before Clarke had pulled back and indicated for Lexa to sit. Clarke's heart was beating so hard that she felt sure that if she had prolonged the hug anymore, Lexa would have certainly felt it pounding against her chest.
"Hi, Lex," Clarke said with a smile as they sat. "Thanks for coming."
"My pleasure. Thanks for inviting me," Lexa replied as she took off her coat and draped it over her chair. She pointed at the book poking out of Clarke's bag with a smile of her own. "How long have you been here?"
Clarke grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "About 45 minutes. I had nothing to do at home, so I thought I'd come and hang and read a bit before you got here."
"Oh. What are you reading?" Lexa asked.
"The Martian. Have you read it?"
"Yes! I love that book. The movie was pretty good too, but they left out some things that would have made it more suspenseful," Lexa said.
"Hmm," Clarke hummed. "You mean like breaking the Rover so he couldn't talk to NASA anymore, and the trailer flipping over on his way to Ares IV?"
"Exactly!" Lexa exclaimed.
"Maybe it would've made the movie too long?" Clarke offered.
"Maybe," Lexa agreed. "It was still good, though." She paused and eyed Clarke somewhat shyly. "What else have you been up to today?"
"Not much, I spent some time playing my guitar, and got some reading done for one of my bio classes," Clarke replied.
Lexa perked up slightly when Clarke mentioned playing the guitar. "Oh? Are you working on anything new?"
"I'm working on a new Joshua Radin song," Clarke softly said as she glanced away from Lexa's eyes. "As well as a few more."
Lexa smiled again, remembering the last time Clarke had played a song from that particular artist. New Year's Eve, one of the best nights Lexa could remember in a very long time. "You seem to like him. I'll have to check out more of his music," Lexa commented.
"I do," Clarke said, energy and excitement picking up. She scooted forward in her seat as she began talking about the artist and the fact that most of his work was very guitar heavy, and how much she loved the way he played.
"I also feel very connected to his lyrics. There are not many of his songs that don't remind me of someone, or myself. I sometimes think that songs can express how I'm feeling much better than I could ever articulate myself." Clarke took a breath, looking at Lexa who was listening to Clarke's musical monologue with rapt attention. Clarke shifted before continuing. "However, how people interpret lyrics is so personal, how I feel about a song, isn't necessarily how Octavia would feel about it, or how you might feel about it."
Lexa was nodding at Clarke's commentary. "Well, I suppose I'm going to have to go and listen to his music and see what all the fuss is about." Lexa paused before looking Clarke in the eye and adding softly, "I know I liked the one you played on New Year's Eve already." Lexa looked away and down at the table as soon as she said it, so she missed Clarke's deep inhale of breath and slightly widened eyes.
Clarke took a moment to compose herself before she responded. "I could make you a playlist of all my favourites if you'd like."
Lexa looked back at the blonde, and a small grin pulled at the corners of her mouth. "I'd like that, Clarke. Thank you."
Clarke nodded and then indicated the barista. "Want a tea?"
"Yes, but it's my turn," Lexa said getting up. "Same as last time?"
Clarke nodded, and Lexa walked away to collect their teas.
Lexa returned shortly with two steaming cups of aromatic tea. She handed one to Clarke who took it and sniffed appreciatively before taking a small sip. She placed the cup on the short table in front of her with a sigh and watched as a small smile graced Lexa's pink lips as she also took a sip. Lexa placed her cup on the table across from Clarke's and looked up into cerulean blue eyes that seemed to capture her own and inexplicitly draw her in. The two women started at each other for a moment, before Lexa cleared her throat and asked Clarke what she thought of the World Jr. results. Clarke broke eye contact, shook her head slightly and inhaled deeply before looking back at Lexa with a shy smile.
The two women talked about the result of the World Jr.'s (Canada won, beating the US in the gold medal game), their hockey teams and what they expected for the rest of the season.
"I have no doubt that our two teams will meet in the final again this year," Clarke stated.
"Except, this time, the Grounders will win," Lexa said firmly.
"Oh, really?" Clarke laughed. "Well, you're going to have to pick up your game then, Woods. I mean, I didn't even know you last time we played, and you couldn't beat us then. What makes you think you will this time when I now know you better and can pick on your weaknesses?"
"You forget, Clarke that I also now know you better. That door swings both ways," Lexa replied with an amused smirk and a raised brow.
"As do I, my friend, as do I," Clarke laughed, shooting Lexa a wry glance.
Lexa opened her mouth, gaping at the woman in front of her as a blush climbed her cheeks. She snapped her mouth shut and cleared her throat before she responded, trying not to notice how Clarke's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Oh, my God, Clarke," Lexa finally got out, shaking her head.
"What? Come on; Raven would have been all over that one. It would have been high-five worthy at the very least!" Clarke said with a laugh, leaning back in her chair and pushing her hair behind her ears.
Lexa watched Clarke intently, taking in all her little mannerisms and filing them away in her memory. She cleared her throat again and attempted to steady her voice before venturing back to hockey.
"When do you play The Ice Nation next?" she asked.
Clarke scowled, and a look of distaste crossed her face before she answered. "Two weeks. We have the Peacemakers next week, and then Ice Nation the following week."
Lexa grimaced. "That's not much time, Clarke. Are you going to be ready?"
Clarke smiled warmly at the concern evident in Lexa's tone. "I think so. The Peacemakers are a great bunch of girls, but not horribly strong this year. It will be an excellent warm-up game for me to get back into the swing of things."
Lexa nodded, remembering the game The Grounders had played against the Peacemakers, thinking that their team name fit their team outlook and attitude perfectly. "I'm still worried about the Ice Nation's captain, though. If she finds out that you were hurt recently, she'll try to take advantage of that." Lexa commented, looking away with a frown on her face.
Clarke sighed. "I know. She's dirty as hell. It's amazing what she gets away with, but she's so damn sneaky about throwing her shots when the refs aren't looking. There're a couple of female refs that have a pretty good grasp of her antics and keep an eye on her. The male refs, though, don't seem to care. Often it's like they just want the game over with as fast as possible so they can get to their men's division games. It's infuriating!" Clarke finished, clenching her fists.
Lexa nodded in understanding, knowing all about what Clarke was referring too. Unfortunately, there weren't enough female refs for all the women's games, so they could only hope they got a pair of officials that took pride in their job, were respectful and worked hard.
"You still need to be careful, Clarke," Lexa said, her voice and facial expressions set in the most serious manner Clarke had ever seen on the brunette's face. And that was saying something.
"I will, Lex," Clarke said just as seriously. "I'll try to stay away from her when possible, and I'll try to give the refs a heads up before the game. I can only hope that she hasn't heard anything about my injury."
Lexa sat quietly, staring at her hands as Clarke talked. A few moments of silence passed after Clarke had finished speaking and still Lexa sat in silence. She flinched when Clarke reached over and placed a hand on Lexa's arm.
"Lex?" Clarke asked, concerned.
Lexa took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she looked up into Clarke's worried blue eyes.
"I just...I don't...I can't..." Lexa stuttered before blurting out in a rush "youjustneedtobecarefulokay."
"What? Lex, slow down," Clarke said, giving her arm a squeeze.
Lexa took another deep breath and placed her hand on top of Clarke's one resting on her arm. She gave Clarke's hand a gentle squeeze before trying again.
"Promise me you'll be careful. Please," Lexa looked into Clarke's eyes, her emerald gaze pleading.
Clarke's face softened as she regarded the beautiful brunette in front of her. "I promise that I will do my best to be careful," Clarke said carefully. Then in an attempt to dampen the suddenly electric atmosphere she added, "Is Gustus going to enter The Grounders in the Spring Break Tournament?"
Lexa looked surprised by the sudden shift in conversation but quickly caught up. "I'm not sure." She felt Clarke pull her hand out from her own and away from her arm and immediately mourned the loss of the warmth and contact. She subconsciously rubbed the spot on her arm that Clarke's hand had so recently vacated. If Clarke noticed, she didn't say anything, and Lexa didn't say if she saw Clarke clenching the hand that had been on Lexa's arm and then rubbing her palm on jean-clad thigh over and over.
"He mentioned it once a bit ago, but I wasn't horribly receptive at the time, so he dropped it, and he hasn't brought it up again since" Lexa continued.
"Kane hasn't mentioned it yet either," Clarke responded. "He may just want to focus on playoffs. Especially since our biggest competition has become even more so with the addition of an incredibly talented new center."
Lexa blushed, and Clarke beamed at her. "Oh shush, you," Lexa said shyly, looking away from Clarke's piercing gaze.
"Well, it's true. You are incredibly talented. I can't believe you're just playing competitive rec hockey, Lex. You could do so much more," Clarke said sincerely.
Lexa looked up, at Clarke and saw the sincerity in the blonde's gaze. "I was approached by some National team scouts when I was in my junior year of high school," Lexa said, hesitantly, slightly uncomfortable. She saw how Clarke's eyes widened in awe and continued before Clarke could say anything. "They wanted me to go to a junior training camp over the summer."
"O. M. Goodness!" Clarke squealed. "Did you go?"
Lexa laughed, feeling less uncomfortable about talking about herself with the blonde. "First of all, did you just quote Zootopia to me, Clarke? And second, yes, I did,"
"Holy crap, Lex! That's amazing! What happened?" Clarke was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Zootopia, Clarke?" Lexa teased.
"It's the best line in the whole movie, Lexa! We could have a whole other discussion on the messages in that film," Clarke said waving her hand in the air. "Now focus! I want details," Clarke responded with a mock glare and then rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"I went, I learned a lot, I went back home," Lexa said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"What?!" Clarke exclaimed. "That's it?"
"I was a junior, Clarke. I had a year of high school left. I was serious about my education and my...my parents had very high expectations of me. I was offered a spot on the junior team, but it would have meant moving away from home, starting a new school, which I wouldn't actually be in much due to the expected amount of training and travel required." Lexa shrugged as if it were nothing, "I wasn't ready to do that." A sad, pensive look crossed her face as she quietly whispered, "but maybe if I had..."
Clarke almost missed the last whispered comment, but she didn't miss the look that crossed Lexa's face. A pang of sympathy spiked through Clarke's chest, and she had to stop herself from reaching out and wrapping Lexa up in a hug. Clarke wasn't sure how she knew, but she didn't believe Lexa meant that last whispered comment to be said aloud, and she also knew that whatever was behind it, Lexa wasn't ready to share that part of her life with Clarke. Not yet. So Clarke ignored it and asked another question instead.
"Where you ever scouted again?" she asked.
"I played on a triple A team in my first two years of University. Our team was excellent, and I had some scouts show some interest, but it wasn't until the winter of my third year that they made me an offer," Lexa's voice had become softer as she talked, and Clarke was leaning forward, straining to hear her by the end.
"What was the offer, Lex?" Clarke asked, much more subdued, taking her cue from Lexa's demeanor.
Lexa looked up at her, eyes shining. She swallowed and looked down, her hands tightly clasped together. She let out a shaky breath and whispered, "They invited me to try out for the National team."
Clarke knew that there was more. The way Lexa had tensed up was not the body language of someone who had been presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, so she remained quiet.
Eventually, Lexa started speaking again, quietly and slowly. "My parents and I talked about the consequences of the offer. It would mean putting my education on hold, which would mean putting off the plans my father had for me as well. I even called Gustus to talk to him about it to get his opinion," Lexa looked up and gave Clarke a small, sad smile as she said this last. Then the smile dropped, and she continued her narrative.
"I also had to consider the implications it would have on my relationship. I had been dating my girlfriend..." Lexa's voice slightly wavered before she took a deep breath and let it out shakily. "We had been dating since senior year of high school. If I went with the National team, it would mean leaving her behind too. I know that most girls would have dropped everything given that chance, but I needed time. They gave me until winter break, three weeks. I needed to be in Denver right at the start of December, at the very latest. So I made up my mind to decide within the week. There was no reason to put it off longer than that. If I couldn't make a decision in one week, I certainly wasn't going to be able to make it in three."
As Lexa's voice trailed off, Clarke could see the tensing in her shoulders and the stiffening of her spine as she sat on the chair across from her. Her face had become impassive and closed off, and a wave of almost anger seemed to wash off of her.
Lexa looked up, and Clarke could see the pain shining from Lexa's eyes. Clarke stared back, refusing to look away, letting Lexa know that she could talk to her, could tell her whatever it was that was that so tore her up. Clarke let her eyes tell Lexa everything she was too unsure of to say.
Lexa knew she wasn't hiding her pain well, or even at all. When she looked up at Clarke, she didn't know what to expect from the woman sitting across from her, but it certainly wasn't the understanding, compassion or support she saw shining in Clarke's eyes. She felt affection bloom in the vicinity of her heart and gave Clarke a tremulous smile.
Lexa continued to stare into Clarke's shining blue eyes, and murmured, "I didn't go."
Lexa's eyes, however, said much more. Her glossy emerald gaze held Clarke's and Clarke could read the appreciation there. She saw the recognition of what Clarke was offering to Lexa, and she saw the 'one day, but not today' as plain as if Lexa had said it aloud. She saw resolve in Lexa's eyes and acceptance, acceptance of what Clarke wasn't sure, but it was there. She also saw hope and affection shining back at her, and it took her breath away. The two women said nothing, continuing to look into one another's eyes, and finally, Clarke nodded, as if in acceptance of all she had seen, and an affirmation that she would be there when Lexa was ready.
Lexa sighed and sagged in relief, releasing the tension she didn't realize she was holding until she felt it drain away. She didn't know what it was about Clarke that had her talking, hell, even thinking, about things she hadn't spoken of in years. She knew she would eventually tell Clarke everything; it was almost an involuntary reaction, but it terrified her because she didn't want Clarke to know how broken she was.
Clarke got up to refill their teas, to let Lexa compose herself. When Clarke got back to the table, Lexa glanced up at her shyly and took the offered tea with a quiet "thank you" and sipped it carefully.
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Clarke finally spoke up. "Favourite book."
"I'm sorry, what?" Lexa asked confused.
Clarke smiled at her, "What's your favourite book?"
"Oh. That's an easy one. Fried Green Tomatoes. I just started reading it again," Lexa answered.
"I don't think I've ever read that," Clarke said thoughtfully.
"Clarke!" Lexa exclaimed, suddenly more animated than Clarke had ever seen her. "As a queer woman, you must read this book. It's fantastic! And sweet. And the two main characters are so loving but so discreet and respectful at the same time. And it is sad, and poignant..." Lexa sighed. "You just need to read it."
Clarke laughed as Lexa sighed again and collapsed back in her chair, happy to see that some of the previous tension and melancholy seemed to have drained away from Lexa. "I think I remember a movie with that title. Is it the same as the book?"
Lexa looked at her sternly, "Clarke, Hollywood adaptations of works of literature are never as good as the books themselves."
Clarke laughed again, putting her hands up in surrender. "I'm taking that as a yes, and the movie stunk?"
"Actually," Lexa said thoughtfully, "the movie was pretty good. Not as good as the book, but it was the nineties and there was only so much they could do that was considered socially acceptable at the time. I think if someone was to redo it today, it might have more openly gay content. But some would argue that the subtleties and the sub context are what make the movie so enduring. Also, it's set during a time where women loving women wasn't even something people discussed as a possibility, so I'm not sure they could have made it any more overtly gay."
"Well," Clarke said raising her brows and her mug to her lips. She took a small sip and then shot Lexa a lopsided grin. "I'm intrigued. I'll read the book if you watch the movie with me."
Lexa's eyes widened, and she looked at Clarke in awe. "You want to watch the movie adaptation of my favourite book with me?"
"Uh, yeah," Clarke said, giggling at Lexa's reaction. "Who else would I watch it with?"
"Octavia or Raven?" Lexa offered, trying to sound as though her heart wasn't currently trying to pound its way out of her chest.
"I want to watch it with you, you dork," Clarke said playfully.
The right corner of Lexa's lip twitched upward, and her heart impossibly sped up yet again. She didn't trust herself to speak, so she merely nodded at Clarke, who clapped her hands with joy and said, "Great! It's a date!"
Lexa's eyes widened comically, and she almost spat out the sip of tea she had just taken but managed to suck it back in and swallow it too fast. It was also too hot, so not only did she start to choke because of the tea traveling down her trachea instead of her esophagus, it also burned all the way down. Lexa barely managed to put the mug down on the table in front of her before coughing and waving her hand in front of her mouth. Clarke had jumped up the moment Lexa had started to choke and ran and got a glass of cold water. She made it back as Lexa was wheezing for breath, leaned over one side of the chair.
Clarke pressed the glass into Lexa's hand and rubbed soothing circles on her back, as the brunette tried to get her breathing back under control.
After a few moments and many sips of water later, Lexa finally managed to rasp out a scratchy "Thanks."
Clarke looked carefully at her before responding quietly, but with amusement, "are you okay?"
"Yes. My tea went down the wrong way," Lexa said, looking away and straightening herself out.
Once Lexa was again sitting upright and in no fear of asphyxiating, she indicated the small cleared platform off in the far corner of the coffee shop. It was well out of the way of the central area of the cafe, almost tucked away around a half wall, creating an intimate seating space around the dark and scuffed platform.
"What's that used for?" she asked Clarke, trying to cover her embarrassment and not think about what Clarke had said. It's a date.
"Oh, that's a little performance stage," Clarke said looking over. "Every week they have an informal open mic night. People get up and do spoken word, some people sing, some dance, and some play instruments. I saw someone play didgeridoo up there last year. That was interesting."
"Have you ever played your guitar up there?" Lexa asked, curious.
Clarke laughed, "Oh, God, no. I've never felt the need to perform in front of people. Plus, I hadn't played my guitar for a long time before picking it up again out of boredom while I convalesced."
"Well, I think you'd be great. I'd come and watch," Lexa said with a shrug and a small smile.
Clarke grinned back at her, "Hmmm, well, maybe I'll think about it."
From there the topic turned to the impending start of the school semester.
"So, you know that I'm in my third year of bioengineering," Clarke began. "I remember you mentioning something about business during our cutthroat game of Monopoly. Is that what you're studying?"
Lexa wrapped her hands around her still-warm tea mug and nodded, looking into the murky depths of her cup. "Yes, I'm also in my third year. I'm majoring in Business Administration."
"That's great!" Clarke exclaimed. "Do you have your course schedule yet?"
Lexa nodded, looking at Clarke curiously.
Clarke noticed her look and continued with a shrug of her shoulders. "I thought that if our schedules matched up, we could carpool to school. I know you don't have a car, and it's not really out of my way to pick you up. I pick Raven up most days as well, as we have a lot of the same classes." Clarke seemed to realize that she was rambling, so she looked away from Lexa and cleared her throat. "I mean...if you want..."
Lexa was staring at Clarke and finally shook her head and smiled at the blonde in front of her, who was wearing a cautious expression. "That would be great, Clarke. I'd appreciate the ride. And the company." Lexa realized as she said it how much she meant it, and her chest felt a little bit lighter with the knowledge.
Clarke's smile was blinding. It lit up the room, and Lexa was dazzled once again. Lexa looked at the time and was shocked at how much time had passed. She had been so wrapped up in their comfortable (and on occasion, not so comfortable) discussions, friendly debates, and mutual grumbling that she hadn't registered how long they had been there.
"Oh jeez!" Lexa exclaimed. "Where did the time go? It's already four-thirty." She looked at Clarke and sighed regretfully. "This has been wonderful, Clarke, and I wish I could stay longer, but I have to get back and get some things done before practice."
Clarke nodded in understanding, standing up with Lexa as she began putting on her coat. Clarke reached for her own as she said, "This was fun, minus the choking," she said with a grin. "Thanks. Let's do it again soon, okay?"
Lexa looked at Clarke fondly, before stating, "Absolutely." She paused as if remembering something, and then added with a smirk, "Actually, I think I'll be seeing Raven fairly often in the next few days."
Clarke grinned back, waggling her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. Anya was at practice this morning."
Lexa chuckled, and Clarke felt herself go weak in the knees at the sound. She reached out to the back of her chair to help steady herself as she continued to look at Lexa. Clarke suddenly realized that she had never heard Lexa laugh. Chuckle yes, giggle once or twice, but never an actual full out laugh. She wondered what she would have to do to hear that, and what that might do to her if a mere chuckle from the brunette made her swoon.
"Anya's making her come to practice tonight and to our game on Friday," Lexa informed Clarke.
"Oh!" Clarke exclaimed, brightening. "Would you mind if I tagged along with them? Maybe not to practice, but I bet we could get a whole bunch of people to cheer you... for your team, I mean, on Friday."
Lexa smiled brightly at Clarke. "That would be great, Clarke. I...I mean my team," she said shyly, "would appreciate that."
"Okay, it's settled then," Clarke said, clapping her hands together. "We'll get a whole cheering section together for Friday. Maybe we could all go out after?"
Lexa nodded and started moving toward the door. "I'll check with Anya about going out; she was pretty adamant about spending it with me, it being her last night and all."
Clarke nodded back, grabbed her bag and headed out behind Lexa. They walked to Lincoln's truck, and Clarke shouldered her bag, stuffed her hands into her coat pockets and looked up into Lexa's brilliant green eyes.
"Thanks again, Lex. Drive safe," Clarke said as she slowly brought her hands out of her pockets and wrapped Lexa up in a hug and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek before beginning to step back.
Unlike the hug Clarke gave her when she arrived a few hours ago, Lexa was prepared this time and managed to get her arms wrapped around Clarke's waist, holding her in place and squeezing back slightly before whispering in Clarke's ear. "Thank you, Clarke. I'm so glad I met you," and placed a kiss of her own on Clarke's cool cheek.
They gave each other another quick squeeze and then stepped apart. Both women's hearts were beating rapidly, and their breathing was more rapid than normal. Clarke stepped away from the door so Lexa could open it and get in. She stood until Lexa had the truck started and then gave a short wave as the truck pulled out before heading to her car, already looking forward to Friday.